On behalf of the Cabinet, the Cabinet Office shall review all submitted proposals before they are listed on the agenda for a Cabinet meeting, to confirm that they comply with these rules and procedures. In practice this step does not take much time where the Cabinet Office has already examined the draft submission and, if necessary, discussed any required amendments with the originating Ministry.

The Secretary to the Cabinet is authorized to return any submission that is incomplete, that has not met the requirements in this Manual or that has failed to consider adequately key issues or options.

As part of this process, the Cabinet Office is responsible for checking the format and clarity of the submission, as well as reviewing the policy content to ensure that key issues are adequately addressed, that the proposal is consistent with and adequately linked to the Government’s strategic priorities and that the evidence put forward shows that the proposal can be effectively implemented to achieve its objectives.