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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Before the hon. Gentleman leaves the question of accountability, which I think he is about to, I ask him to suppose that the Government’s response to our extensive, trenchant and highly public criticisms of Ministers in the report were to be something along the lines of, ““The accountability and responsibility of Ministers are set out clearly in the ministerial code. The Government does not believe that there is any need for further guidance.”” If the response were as short as that, would he agree that that was a disgraceful failure to address the trenchant, important criticisms made by a Select Committee, and would bring the Government into some disrepute?