CabNet: Published Cabinet paper summaries

Summaries of Cabinet and Cabinet committee papers are prepared and published by the Cabinet Office once the submission has the status of lodged and the submission has been confirmed for consideration at the nominated Cabinet or Cabinet committee meeting.

A Cabinet Office summary is prepared for each paper to assist Ministers in their preparation for meetings and to facilitate effective decision-making.

The Summary is published in the submission folder with the relevant paper in CabNet for the information of interested parties who are authorised and have a business need to see the rest of the related documents, including staff in Ministers’ offices and departmental officials.

The recommendations set out in the Cabinet Office summary reflect the recommendations set out in the paper. The Cabinet Office will work with Ministers’ offices and agencies if changes are required to the style and format of the recommendations to ensure they are in a suitable form or recording in a minute.

The recommendations set out in the summary generally form the basis of the minute of the decision, subject to the discussion at the Cabinet or committee meeting.

Officials that attend a Cabinet committee meeting should refer to the recommendations in the Summary, as Ministers may refer to the recommendations in the summary during the discussion.

Generic submission states with sequence of published documents

• Final draft – this status indicates that the paper has been submitted by an agency to the Minister, and is ready for Ministerial approval.
• Lodged – indicates that the paper has been lodged following approval by a Minister, and is ready for the preparation of the Cabinet Office summary and consideration by the relevant Cabinet committee or Cabinet.
  • The published draft agenda for the meeting is published.
• Published – indicates that the Cabinet Office summary has been prepared, and the paper and the summary have been published.
  • The Cabinet Office summary is published (or alternatively after the final agenda is accessible).
• Confirmed on committee/Cabinet agenda – indicates that the paper has been confirmed for consideration by a committee or Cabinet.
  • The Final Agenda for the meeting is published.
• Considered by committee/Cabinet– indicates that a decision has been taken by a committee or Cabinet
  • The Cabinet/committee minute is published.
  • [Following the Cabinet meeting] the Report of Committee minute is published.
  • [Following the Cabinet meeting and only if required] a separate minute is published.

The process above is set out in the process flow diagram on this page.