Gobbles, it is axiomatic in the public service and ministerial staff that what a Minister does not know is actually more important than what he does know.
If he doesn't now about it, he can't be held responsible for it, and if he should be, but isn't, then all that is required is for a suitable public servant to be selected to confess to knowing about it but failing to tell the Minister.
Said Public servant is then reprimanded, dismissed, and immediately goes to work as a Ministerial appointee on the Board of a Qango.
Very simply really...
This is why a smart Minister always qualifies every statement he ever makes with the phrases "I'm advised that..." everything you ever saw on "Yes Minister" was true. It would take a very "courageous" Minister to do anything at all without the fig-leaf of "advice".