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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The Government’s response to the Select Committee’s report on the Rural Payments Agency has not yet been reported to the House, so we cannot refer to it in detail. Were the Government in that response to seek to hide behind the argument that Select Committees ought not to act as disciplinary tribunals on matters relating to officials, or if the Government were to hide behind the ministerial code when Select Committees criticise the behaviour of Secretaries of State, does the right hon. Gentleman agree that that would be a grossly inadequate response to the very serious issues, both particular and general, that the Committee raised about accountability in this case, and more generally, with reference to the responsibilities of permanent secretaries and Secretaries of State?