Individual Ministerial Responsibility

Individual ministerial responsibility (IMR) is a key constitutional convention that holds ministers personally accountable to Parliament for the conduct and policy of their department. Alongside collective ministerial responsibility, IMR is one of the two pillars of executive accountability in the UK. This lesson examines IMR's meaning, application, and contemporary relevance.

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What Is Individual Ministerial Responsibility?

IMR has several components:

1. Ministers Are Accountable to Parliament

Ministers must answer to Parliament for the actions and decisions of their department. This includes:

• Answering questions in the House (Departmental Question Time).
• Appearing before select committees.
• Making statements to the House on major policy announcements or departmental failures.
• Responding to debates on their department's work.

2. Ministers Must Not Mislead Parliament

Ministers must give accurate and truthful information to Parliament. Deliberately misleading the House is a resignation matter. The Ministerial Code states: "Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation."

3. Ministers Take Responsibility for Departmental Errors