Hint: Minister should dismiss scoundrel (3)
I believe the answer is:
cue
'hint' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'minister should dismiss scoundrel' is the wordplay.
'minister' becomes 'curate' (synonyms).
'should dismiss' suggests deleting specific letters.
'scoundrel' becomes 'rat' (I've seen this in other clues).
'curate' with 'rat' taken out is 'CUE'.
(Other definitions for cue that I've seen before include "Used in snooker and on stage" , "Signal for action" , "Sports implement" , "Sign" , "Prompting" .)