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Devolution will decide the future of the civil service Devolution will decide the future of the civil service
(4 months later)
Bernard Jenkin isn’t only the chair of a busy Commons committee, he is also a leading light of the out campaign to leave the EU – which isn’t going to pack up and go home, whatever the outcome on June 23. And now the public administration and constitutional affairs committee has just announced a mega inquiry into the civil service – structure, effectiveness and all – and is collecting evidence double quick, by early June.Bernard Jenkin isn’t only the chair of a busy Commons committee, he is also a leading light of the out campaign to leave the EU – which isn’t going to pack up and go home, whatever the outcome on June 23. And now the public administration and constitutional affairs committee has just announced a mega inquiry into the civil service – structure, effectiveness and all – and is collecting evidence double quick, by early June.
Maybe Jenkin and fellow MPs will remedy this when they sit down to deliberate, but already they seem to have fallen prey to Whitehall’s chronic disease – myopic departmentalism. That’s odd because under Jenkin, the former public administration select committee singled out lack of strategic co-ordination as one of the centre’s besetting faults.Maybe Jenkin and fellow MPs will remedy this when they sit down to deliberate, but already they seem to have fallen prey to Whitehall’s chronic disease – myopic departmentalism. That’s odd because under Jenkin, the former public administration select committee singled out lack of strategic co-ordination as one of the centre’s besetting faults.
In 2016, to see the size and capacity of the civil service you have to look at what is happening to the rest of the public sector, including the devolved administrations. If English devolution goes further, Whitehall’s numbers, function (and culture) will be affected – yet the terms of reference for the Jenkin committee inquiry don’t mention the D-word.In 2016, to see the size and capacity of the civil service you have to look at what is happening to the rest of the public sector, including the devolved administrations. If English devolution goes further, Whitehall’s numbers, function (and culture) will be affected – yet the terms of reference for the Jenkin committee inquiry don’t mention the D-word.
Of course devolution isn’t a given. Localists have taken umbrage at the sceptical tone adopted in the National Audit Office’s (NAO) progress report on the devolution deals, especially its observation that there isn’t a great deal of rhyme or reason to some of the arrangements. The money being passed out to the (unaccountable) local enterprise partnerships far exceeds the supplementary investment grants going to the consortia of councils. Even in Greater Manchester, the most advanced and best favoured deal, the NAO can’t fathom what influence, if any, the new combined authority and mayor are going to have on NHS budgets. As for schools, the NAO notes dryly that proposals from councils to retain their role “have not been accepted by central government”.Of course devolution isn’t a given. Localists have taken umbrage at the sceptical tone adopted in the National Audit Office’s (NAO) progress report on the devolution deals, especially its observation that there isn’t a great deal of rhyme or reason to some of the arrangements. The money being passed out to the (unaccountable) local enterprise partnerships far exceeds the supplementary investment grants going to the consortia of councils. Even in Greater Manchester, the most advanced and best favoured deal, the NAO can’t fathom what influence, if any, the new combined authority and mayor are going to have on NHS budgets. As for schools, the NAO notes dryly that proposals from councils to retain their role “have not been accepted by central government”.
Related: Without clarity and local scrutiny we risk the prize of devolution
Here’s a paradox of devolution and one that really does get the localists foaming: handing over power (and even just promising to hand over power) requires the centre to have more bodies. The cities and local growth unit, run jointly by the communities and business departments, has 155 civil servants plus another seven in the Treasury dealing with devolution. All those departments are losing numbers, raising concerns about capacity to negotiate and implement deals.Here’s a paradox of devolution and one that really does get the localists foaming: handing over power (and even just promising to hand over power) requires the centre to have more bodies. The cities and local growth unit, run jointly by the communities and business departments, has 155 civil servants plus another seven in the Treasury dealing with devolution. All those departments are losing numbers, raising concerns about capacity to negotiate and implement deals.
There’s also accountability. When Lord Bob Kerslake was permanent secretary for the department of communities and local government, he asked some wide-ranging questions about who was in charge, as public services are contracted out and fragmented. The NAO comptroller and auditor general, Amyas Morse, recently refused to sign off the accounts of the Department for Education due to his opinion that “the level of error and uncertainty in the statements to be both material and pervasive”, which bears out Kerslake’s concern: Morse says he simply does not know whether academy schools are spending public money well enough.There’s also accountability. When Lord Bob Kerslake was permanent secretary for the department of communities and local government, he asked some wide-ranging questions about who was in charge, as public services are contracted out and fragmented. The NAO comptroller and auditor general, Amyas Morse, recently refused to sign off the accounts of the Department for Education due to his opinion that “the level of error and uncertainty in the statements to be both material and pervasive”, which bears out Kerslake’s concern: Morse says he simply does not know whether academy schools are spending public money well enough.
The newly appointed permanent secretary for the Department of Education, Jonathan Slater, will have his work cut out. It’s not clear whether his previous experience as a senior officer in Islington council will be a help or hindrance. But his boss, education secretary Nicky Morgan, is adamant that forcing all schools to become academies will cut central interference – which ought to mean Slater will need even fewer civil servants.The newly appointed permanent secretary for the Department of Education, Jonathan Slater, will have his work cut out. It’s not clear whether his previous experience as a senior officer in Islington council will be a help or hindrance. But his boss, education secretary Nicky Morgan, is adamant that forcing all schools to become academies will cut central interference – which ought to mean Slater will need even fewer civil servants.
The NAO poses a big question for Jenkin: what effect will devolution have on Whitehall’s departmental structure?The NAO poses a big question for Jenkin: what effect will devolution have on Whitehall’s departmental structure?
Another big question is what happens to the wider field of public management? If city regions and combined authorities are now doing things formerly dealt with in Whitehall, will their managers need different skills; will they be a different breed? To find out about the future of the civil service, the MPs will have to look outside Whitehall.Another big question is what happens to the wider field of public management? If city regions and combined authorities are now doing things formerly dealt with in Whitehall, will their managers need different skills; will they be a different breed? To find out about the future of the civil service, the MPs will have to look outside Whitehall.
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