How governments respond to parliamentary committee reports

What a government response is

A select or standing committee report ends with conclusions and recommendations addressed to the government. The government response is the formal, on-record reply. It says which recommendations are accepted, which are rejected and why. In most systems it is published, either by the government or by the committee ^1,2.

The deadlines below are set by standing orders, resolutions, inter-institutional agreements, statute or civil service guidance.

United Kingdom

The Cabinet Office guidance Giving Evidence to Select Committees, dated October 2014, says departments should aim to send a considered response within two months of a report's publication ¹. Complex reports, or those that depend on other events, may need longer. A department that will be late should write to the committee with reasons and a timetable. The guidance says only in exceptional circumstances should a response be deferred more than six months ¹.

The response goes to Parliament first. It can be a Command Paper for matters of substance, a memorandum or letter to the committee chair, or an oral statement ¹. The committee normally publishes a memorandum response itself ¹.

Canada and Australia

Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons of Canada says that within 120 days of the presentation of a report from a standing or special committee, the government shall, on the committee's request, table a full response ². No motion to concur in the report may be moved until the response is tabled or the 120 days run out ².

In Australia, a Senate resolution of 14 March 1973 set the expectation that governments respond to committee reports within three months of tabling. The President of the Senate reports on the status of responses. The report as at 30 June 2019 states that responses are required within three months ³.

India

In the Lok Sabha, departments send action taken notes to the committee. Direction 73A of the Directions by the Speaker requires the minister concerned to make a statement in the House once in six months on the status of implementation of a committee's recommendations ⁴. One such statement, on the 7th Report of the Standing Committee on Urban Development, records that the report was presented on 21 April 2010 and action taken notes were sent on 19 July 2010 ⁴.

European Union and United States

Point 16 of the Framework Agreement between the European Parliament and the European Commission, published on 20 November 2010, says the Commission replies in writing within three months of a Parliament resolution. For a request for a legislative proposal under Article 225 TFEU, the Commission reports on follow-up within three months and gives detailed reasons if it does not propose ⁵.

In the United States, 31 U.S.C. 720 requires an agency head to send a written statement on action taken or planned on Comptroller General recommendations to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the House oversight committee, relevant committees and GAO before the 181st day after the report ⁶.