Letter - Post-Election Arrangements for Swearing-in New Cabinet Ministers [2001-05-18]

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PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE
2 CARLTON GARDENS LONDON SW1Y 5AA

From the Clerk of the Council

18th May 2001

BY EMAIL

Peter Unwin Esq.,
Principal Private Secretary to the
Deputy Prime Minister,
Department of the Environment
Transport and the Regions,
Eland House,
Bressenden Place,
London SW1E 5DU.

Dear Peter,

POST ELECTION ARRANGEMENTS FOR SWEARING IN
NEW CABINET MINISTERS

The Queen will hold a Privy Council at 6 pm on Saturday 9 June. All new Cabinet Ministers, and existing Cabinet Ministers with new appointments, are summoned to attend.

I am writing to you and all other Cabinet Ministers’ offices to set out the arrangements for swearing in any new Cabinet Ministers who may be appointed after the election.

The Queen will hold a Privy Council at 6 pm on Saturday 9 June at Buckingham Palace. There will be a rehearsal in this Office at 5.15 pm.

This letter should be regarded as a formal summons, and I should be grateful if this time and date could be entered as a firm commitment in the diaries of all Cabinet Ministers. If, following the election, your Secretary of State remains unchanged it will not be necessary for him to attend the Privy Council. If, however, your Department has a new Secretary of State after the election 

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arrangements will need to be made to inform him or her of the summons as soon as the appointment is known.

This applies both to Ministers being appointed to the Cabinet for the first time and those who are already Cabinet members, but who are given a new appointment.

As you know, the Ministerial Code makes it clear that a summons to the Privy Council takes precedence over all other engagements.

We will, of course, be in touch with you to confirm arrangements as Ministerial appointments are announced on 8 and 9 June. Please do not hesitate to contact us, however, if you know that you have a new Secretary of State and you have not heard from us. We will be doing our best to keep abreast of developments, but intelligence from additional sources will be welcome. Additional contacts if the number above is busy are Graham Donald on GTN 210 1042 and Meriel McCullagh on GTN 210 1044.

Please get in touch immediately if you have any queries. I am copying this letter to the Private Secretaries of all Cabinet Ministers, to Clare Sumner at No 10 and to Richard Abel in Sir Richard Wilson’s Office.

Yours sincerely,

Graham Donald

p.p. ALEX GALLOWAY