When ministers overrule their officials on spending

Cabinet Secretary

Given 16 February 2026 · Sir Keir Starmer

Department: Cabinet Office

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Government supports Jaguar Land Rover through provision of a guarantee for a commercial loan

Given 26 September 2025 · Peter Kyle

Department at the time: UK Export Finance, Department for Business and Trade · Today: UK Export Finance, Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

British Steel

Given 12 April 2025 · Jonathan Reynolds

Department at the time: Department for Business and Trade · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Pollack compensation scheme

Given 10 April 2024 · Steve Barclay

Department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Jewish Community Protective Security Grant

Given 28 February 2024 · James Cleverly

Department: Home Office

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

NHS pay settlement

Published 5 May 2023. Date the direction was given is not shown on the published letter. · Steve Barclay

Department: Department of Health and Social Care

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre

Given 23 February 2023 · Michael Gove

Department at the time: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities · Today: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Energy Bill Relief Scheme

Given 24 October 2022 · Jacob Rees-Mogg

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · Letter from Permanent Secretary to Chair of Public Accounts Committee re Energy Bills Discount Scheme, 28 March 2023 · GOV.UK page

Energy Price Guarantee

Given 29 September 2022 · Jacob Rees-Mogg

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · Letter from Permanent Secretary to Chair of Public Accounts Committee re Energy Bills Discount Scheme, 28 March 2023 · GOV.UK page

Migration and economic development partnership

Given 13 April 2022 · Priti Patel

Department: Home Office

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Maintenance of UK Export Finance cover limit for Ukraine

Given 11 March 2022 · Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Department: UK Export Finance

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

£27m fund for fire alarms in buildings with a waking watch

Given 10 January 2022 · Michael Gove

Department at the time: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities · Today: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: independent sector contracting

Given 8 January 2022 · Sajid Javid

Department: Department of Health and Social Care

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Increase to UK Export Finance’s cover limit for Ukraine

Given 8 December 2021 · Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Department: UK Export Finance

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Treatment of Historical Institutional Abuse payments in means-tested benefits

Given 7 December 2021 · Thérèse Coffey

Department: Department for Work and Pensions

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

£30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund for unsafe high rise buildings

Given 16 December 2020 · Robert Jenrick

Department at the time: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021) · Today: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Movement Assistance Scheme

Given 9 December 2020 · George Eustice

Department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Purchase of OneWeb

Published 22 July 2020. Date the direction was given is not shown on the published letter. · Alok Sharma

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

Given 7 July 2020 · Rishi Sunak

Department at the time: HM Revenue & Customs, HM Treasury · Today: HM Treasury

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Job Retention Bonus

Given 7 July 2020 · Rishi Sunak

Department at the time: HM Revenue & Customs, HM Treasury · Today: HM Treasury

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Minute from the Prime Minister to the Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office

Given 28 June 2020 · Boris Johnson (Prime Minister at the date of the letter)

Department: Cabinet Office

Minister's direction · GOV.UK page

Remediation of buildings which have unsafe non-ACM cladding systems

Given 26 May 2020 · Robert Jenrick

Department at the time: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021) · Today: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: Future Fund

Given 19 May 2020 · Alok Sharma

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Given 1 May 2020 · Alok Sharma

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund

Given 1 May 2020 · Alok Sharma

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: small businesses grant fund

Published 28 April 2020. Date the direction was given is not shown on the published letter. · Alok Sharma

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: support fund for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses

Published 28 April 2020. Date the direction was given is not shown on the published letter. · Alok Sharma

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Given 16 April 2020 · Alok Sharma

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: continuation of expenditure

Given 8 April 2020 · Thérèse Coffey

Department: Department for Work and Pensions

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: changes to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

Given 2 April 2020 · Alok Sharma

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: spend

Given 29 March 2020 · Matt Hancock

Department: Department of Health and Social Care

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: early payment of grants

Given 23 March 2020 · Robert Jenrick

Department at the time: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021) · Today: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Given 22 March 2020 · Alok Sharma

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Coronavirus: spend in DfT

Given 20 March 2020 · Grant Shapps

Department: Department for Transport

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Legal proceedings

Given 4 March 2020 · Boris Johnson (Prime Minister at the date of the letter)

Department: Cabinet Office

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Senior clinicians' pensions: letters between DHSC and NHS England

Given 22 November 2019 · Matt Hancock

Department: Department of Health and Social Care

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

British Steel: continuation of Official Receiver’s indemnity

Given 11 November 2019 · Andrea Leadsom

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Letter from the Permanent Secretary to the Home Secretary

Published 4 July 2019. GOV.UK has published only the permanent secretary's letter, not the direction. · Sajid Javid

Department: Home Office

Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Remediation of private sector residential buildings with unsafe ACM cladding

Given 8 May 2019 · James Brokenshire

Department at the time: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021) · Today: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Working Links

Given 8 May 2019 · David Gauke

Department: Ministry of Justice

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

UK Export Finance increases cover for Iraq

Given 12 April 2019 · Dr Liam Fox

Department: UK Export Finance

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

UK Export Finance support for export of Typhoon aircraft to Qatar

Given 20 June 2018 · Dr Liam Fox

Department: UK Export Finance

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Brexit preparations: DfT ministerial direction

Published 29 May 2018. Date the direction was given is not shown on the published letter. · Chris Grayling

Department: Department for Transport

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

T Levels

Given 24 May 2018 · Damian Hinds

Department: Department for Education

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Trade Remedies Authority (TRA): DIT ministerial direction

Published 4 April 2018. Date the direction was given is not shown on the published letter. · Dr Liam Fox

Department at the time: Department for International Trade · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Local government overpayment

Given 20 March 2018 · Sajid Javid

Department at the time: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021) · Today: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

EU exit preparations: BEIS ministerial direction

Given 11 March 2018 · Greg Clark

Department at the time: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Brexit preparations

Given 18 January 2018 · Michael Gove

Department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Special advisers severance pay

Given 13 July 2016 · The Prime Minister

Department: Cabinet Office

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Garden Bridge

Given 25 May 2016 · Patrick McLoughlin

Department: Department for Transport

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Support for SSI steelworks apprentices

Given 28 October 2015 · Sajid Javid

Department at the time: Department for Business, Innovation & Skills · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Royal Mail employee share gift: second ministerial direction

Given 13 October 2015 · Sajid Javid

Department at the time: Department for Business, Innovation & Skills · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Flood Reinsurance scheme

Given 30 June 2015 · Elizabeth Truss

Department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Kids Company funding

Given 29 June 2015 · Matthew Hancock and Oliver Letwin

Department: Cabinet Office

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Manston Airport: procuring consultants for independent review

Published 25 June 2015. Date the direction was given is not shown on the published letter. · Patrick McLoughlin

Department: Department for Transport

Minister's direction · GOV.UK page

Royal Mail employee share gift

Given 15 June 2015 · Sajid Javid

Department at the time: Department for Business, Innovation & Skills · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page

Funding of Hatfield Colliery Partnership

Given 13 January 2015 · Vince Cable

Department at the time: Department for Business, Innovation & Skills · Today: Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

Minister's direction · Accounting officer's letter · GOV.UK page