Committee publication · Correspondence · 10 June 2026
Letter to the Chair of the Liaison Committee relating to Ministerial scrutiny 10.06.26
From: Home Affairs Committee
Summary
The Home Affairs Committee Chair writes to the Liaison Committee expressing concern about the Home Secretary's reluctance to appear for scrutiny. Since appointment in September 2025, the Home Secretary has appeared only once (February 2026). The Committee requests the Liaison Committee investigate whether this reflects a wider pattern of ministerial avoidance of select committee accountability and escalate to the Leader of the House if needed.
Key findings
- Home Secretary appointed 5 September 2025 but appeared before Home Affairs Committee only once in 2025, and once in 2026 (4 February)
- Home Secretary refused to appear before summer recess 2026, offering only an autumn date which would prevent further scrutiny that year
- Home Affairs Committee expects three annual appearances from the Home Secretary given the prominence of Home Office issues: immigration, protest response, and police reform
- Committee Chair characterises reluctance to appear as potentially undermining core accountability responsibilities of a Secretary of State
Tone
CriticalTopics
parliamentary-scrutinyministerial-accountabilityhome-office
Key actors
Dame Karen Bradley MP, Dame Meg Hillier MP, Home Secretary, Home Affairs Committee, Liaison Committee, Leader of the House
Notable line
“… it is one of the core responsibilities of any Secretary of State to account for departmental policy in the House, notably in front of the relevant select committee.”
Key Quotes
“Since the current Home Secretary was appointed on 5 September 2025, she has appeared only once before the Committee, on 4 February this year.”
“We have sought to secure the Home Secretary appearance at the Committee before the summer recess but she has refused to do so, instead offering a date in the autumn.”
“… it is one of the core responsibilities of any Secretary of State to account for departmental policy in the House, notably in front of the relevant select committee.”
“Given the continued prominence of issues within the Home Office portfolio, including immigration, the response to protests and police reform, we would expect the Home Secretary to appear before the Committee three times a year.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗