9 November 2022: Lord Evans - B

There was just one question coming from core participants:

On the failure of the Government to respond to his Committee’s report and the need for them to be compelled or obliged to respond; he said he would support a duty to respond, but was more concerned that a positive response was forthcoming.

The Chair asked about the difference between rules and culture, especially in relation to accountability. He said he agreed that there should be clarity on what accountability means, and what the public expect it to mean. There are various affecting factors such as organisational culture, and there are important external influences such as the media. The Chair came back to restate how important it was that the public knew what the accountability covered and what the candour demanded. He suggested that Parliament had some “catching-up” to do. The witness said there had been progress in the last five to ten years. He cited the recent Owen Patterson case.

The witness had nothing more to add.

The Chair thanked the witness for his time and the valuable insights he had provided. He commented on the amount of evidence related to standards of behaviour expected from people with public roles which the Inquiry had heard, “one way or another, … or largely one way”. Another supremely understated closing gem from the Chair.

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