The Cabinet Manual, is the “primary authority on the conduct of Cabinet government” and “provides authoritative guidance” on how Ministers should operate. It requires a confidential annual meeting between the Cabinet Office and each individual Minister to discuss their situation, and how any potential conflicts of interest might be managed. It also makes clear that the primary role of a Minister is setting the policy direction for their portfolio and securing the necessary funding for those initiatives in the annual Budget round. While Ministers are accountable to Parliament and the Prime Minister for the overall performance of their department, they are not directly responsible for that department’s operational decisions which are taken to give effect to the government’s policies. And Ministers must always ensure the separation of powers between the Executive branch of government (the Cabinet) and the Judiciary (the Courts and law enforcement agencies) is maintained.
