Yes, a cliché, but an effective way of describing issues or problems everyone knows to be there – but are unwilling to discuss.

A common criticism of public consultations is that they do not always ask the right questions. Of course, that depends upon whom you ask.  Consultees frequently wish to see questions about underlying policy – something which the consultor may be powerless to influence. In other cases, the lack of a precise question makes it virtually impossible for respondents to guess what consultation organisers want to know.

We had a classic example of this last week. The Department of Education has taken over responsibility for setting up the Institute for Apprenticeships. This will play a key role in the Government’s flagship policy to secure 3 million apprenticeships by 2020. It has now launched a consultation on the Draft Strategic Guidance for the new body – full of important issues as to its priorities and modus operandi. Sadly, this is nothing but a tick-box exercise. The clue is in the questions. There aren’t any.  It just publishes the text of the Guidance and asks for comments. There is nothing whatever to point to the issues upon which the Department is open to influence. We thought we had said goodbye to this type of Government consultation a long time ago.

Maybe of greater long-term significance is the High Court judgment handed down just before Christmas. In a nutshell, this was a dispute between Derbyshire County Council and the new proposed Combined Authority for Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham. At issue is whether the new Mayoral structure should include Chesterfield.