Collection

Ministerial Directions

This series brings together all published Ministerial Directions.

• From: HM Treasury
• Published: 1 October 2020
• Last updated: 11 April 2024 — See all updates

Section 3.4 of Managing Public Money sets out that accounting officers should routinely scrutinise significant policy proposals or plans to start or vary major projects and then assess whether they measure up to the standards set out in Managing Public Money. The accounting officer should draw any issues to the attention of the responsible minister to see whether they can be resolved.

If the minister decides it is nevertheless appropriate to continue with a course that does not meet the Managing Public Money standards, the accounting officer should ask for a formal written direction to proceed. Since 2011, there has been a presumption that such directions are published, unless the matter must be kept confidential.

Below are links to all the directions that have been published since 2011. There were no Ministerial Directions published between 2011 and 2014.

2024

• Pollack compensation scheme: ministerial direction
  • 10 April 2024
  • Correspondence
• Jewish Community Protective Security Grant: ministerial direction
  • 29 February 2024
  • Correspondence

2023

• NHS pay settlement: ministerial direction request
  • 5 May 2023
  • Correspondence
• UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre: ministerial direction
  • 23 February 2023
  • Correspondence

2022

• Energy Bill Relief Scheme: ministerial direction
  • 14 April 2023
  • Correspondence
• Energy Price Guarantee: ministerial direction
  • 14 April 2023
  • Correspondence
• Maintenance of UK Export Finance cover limit for Ukraine
  • 16 March 2022
  • Correspondence
• Migration and economic development partnership: ministerial direction
  • 16 April 2022
  • Correspondence
• £27m fund for fire alarms in buildings with a waking watch: ministerial direction 
  • 10 January 2022
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction on independent sector contracting
  • 12 January 2022
  • Decision

2021

• Treatment of Historical Institutional Abuse payments in means-tested benefits
  • 10 December 2021
  • Correspondence
• Increase to UK Export Finance’s cover limit for Ukraine
  • 9 December 2021
  • Correspondence
• Movement Assistance Scheme: ministerial direction
  • 28 January 2021
  • Correspondence

2020

• Ministerial direction: £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund for unsafe high rise buildings
  • 17 December 2020
  • Correspondence
• Ministerial direction regarding legal proceedings
  • 15 December 2020
  • Correspondence
• Ministerial direction for the purchase of OneWeb
  • 22 July 2020
  • Correspondence
• Eat Out to Help Out Scheme: ministerial direction
  • 9 July 2020
  • Correspondence
• Job Retention Bonus: ministerial direction
  • 9 July 2020
  • Correspondence
• Minute from the Prime Minister to the Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office
  • 8 July 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): a ministerial direction on spend in DfT
  • 8 July 2020
  • Decision
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction for continuation of expenditure
  • 18 June 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction for early payment of grants
  • 12 June 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction for the Future Fund
  • 10 June 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction for the coronavirus Bounce Back Loan Scheme
  • 10 June 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction for the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund
  • 10 June 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction for changes to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
  • 10 June 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction for the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme
  • 10 June 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
  • 10 June 2020
  • Correspondence
• Remediation of buildings which have unsafe non-ACM cladding systems: ministerial direction
  • 26 May 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction for the small businesses grant fund
  • 28 April 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction for the support fund for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses
  • 28 April 2020
  • Correspondence
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction on spend
  • 30 March 2020
  • Decision

2019

• British Steel: ministerial direction on continuation of Official Receiver’s indemnity
  • 28 April 2020
  • Correspondence
• Senior clinicians' pensions: letters between DHSC and NHS England
  • 22 November 2019
  • Correspondence
• Letter from the Permanent Secretary to the Home Secretary
  • 4 July 2019
  • Correspondence
• Remediation of private sector residential buildings with unsafe ACM cladding: ministerial direction
  • 9 May 2019
  • Correspondence
• Working Links: Ministerial direction
  • 8 May 2019
  • Correspondence
• UK Export Finance increases cover for Iraq
  • 16 April 2019
  • Correspondence

2018

• UK Export Finance support for export of Typhoon aircraft to Qatar
  • 19 September 2018
  • Correspondence
• Brexit preparations: DfT ministerial direction
  • 29 May 2018
  • Correspondence
• T Levels: ministerial direction
  • 24 May 2018
  • Correspondence
• Trade Remedies Authority (TRA): DIT ministerial direction
  • 4 April 2018
  • Correspondence
• Local government overpayment: ministerial direction
  • 20 March 2018
  • Correspondence
• EU exit preparations: BEIS ministerial direction
  • 20 March 2018
  • Correspondence
• Brexit preparations: ministerial direction
  • 19 January 2018
  • Correspondence

2016

• Garden Bridge: ministerial direction
  • 11 October 2016
  • Correspondence
• Special advisers severance pay
  • 14 July 2016
  • Correspondence

2015

• Manston Airport: ministerial direction on procuring consultants for independent review
  • 25 June 2015
  • Correspondence
• Support for SSI steelworks apprentices: ministerial direction
  • 28 October 2015
  • Correspondence
• Royal Mail employee share gift: second ministerial direction
  • 13 October 2015
  • Correspondence
• Funding of Hatfield Colliery Partnership: ministerial direction
  • 3 July 2015
  • Correspondence
• Flood Reinsurance scheme: ministerial direction
  • 1 July 2015
  • Correspondence
• Royal Mail employee share gift: ministerial direction
  • 16 June 2015
  • Correspondence
• Kids Company funding: ministerial direction
  • 16 July 2015
  • Correspondence

Published 1 October 2020
Last updated 11 April 2024 + show all updates

1. 11 April 2024

   Added the ministerial direction for the pollack compensation scheme.

2. 29 February 2024

   Added the ministerial direction for the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant.

3. 10 May 2023

   Added 'NHS pay settlement: ministerial direction request'.

4. 23 February 2023

   Added UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre: ministerial direction.

5. 25 October 2022

   Added Ministerial directions for Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

6. 18 July 2022

   Maintenance of UK Export Finance cover limit for Ukraine added

7. 19 April 2022

   Migration and economic development partnership: ministerial direction added

8. 19 January 2022

   Added: Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction on independent sector contracting

9. 10 January 2022

   Added '£27m fund for fire alarms in buildings with a waking watch: ministerial direction'. 

10. 10 December 2021

    Added Treatment of Historical Institutional Abuse payments in means-tested benefits to 2021.

11. 9 December 2021

    Increase to UK Export Finance’s cover limit for Ukraine added

12. 10 February 2021

    Added 'The Passenger Name Record Data and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2018: ministerial direction'.

13. 29 January 2021

    Added the 'Movement Assistance Scheme: ministerial direction'.

14. 18 December 2020

    Updated with: Ministerial direction: £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund for unsafe high rise buildings.

15. 17 December 2020

    Updated with: Manston Airport: ministerial direction on procuring consultants for independent review.

16. 15 December 2020

    Updated with: Manston Airport: seeking direction on procuring consultants for independent review.

17. 1 October 2020

    First published.