The Prime Minister may impose and enforce deadlines for submitting and circulating Cabinet papers.

Ministers may lodge Cabinet submissions at any time consistent with the approved Forward Program of Cabinet Business (see section 5.1). However, submissions not received by the Cabinet Office prior to 4pm on the Tuesday prior to the Cabinet meeting on the following Monday will normally be held over for a following meeting, unless the Prime Minister agrees that a decision is urgent for unavoidable reasons. This provides time for submissions to be reviewed, for the Cabinet Office to advise the Prime Minister on the proposed Agenda and for papers to be circulated well in advance of the meeting. (See section 8.1 on preparing the Cabinet agenda for each meeting.)

Submissions must be lodged with 21 copies (subject to amendment as the e-Cabinet system is rolled out).

The agenda papers for each Monday Cabinet meeting will be circulated on Thursday, in time for other Ministers to review them and, where necessary, seek technical briefing from their own Ministry before the weekend. Given the requirement for circulation of draft submissions in section 6.1, key Ministries will already have been alerted to major incoming submissions and should already be preparing any expert advice required by their Minister for the Cabinet discussion.

Any late papers must be approved specifically by the Prime Minister, through the Secretary to the Cabinet, in written application by or verbal discussion with the Minister concerned.