This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/21/civil-service-reports-brexit-criticised-padding-plagiarism
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Civil service reports on Brexit are criticised for padding and plagiarism | Civil service reports on Brexit are criticised for padding and plagiarism |
| (5 days later) | |
| Documents on effects of leaving EU, once claimed to provide ‘excruciating detail’, expose threadbare state of preparations | Documents on effects of leaving EU, once claimed to provide ‘excruciating detail’, expose threadbare state of preparations |
| Dan Roberts Brexit policy editor | Dan Roberts Brexit policy editor |
| Thu 21 Dec 2017 16.30 GMT | Thu 21 Dec 2017 16.30 GMT |
| Last modified on Wed 14 Feb 2018 15.28 GMT | |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| View more sharing options | View more sharing options |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Close | Close |
| The threadbare state of government preparations for Brexit was exposed on Thursday as civil service reports once heralded for providing “excruciating detail” on the impact of leaving the EU were criticised for containing little more than padding, repetition and plagiarism. | The threadbare state of government preparations for Brexit was exposed on Thursday as civil service reports once heralded for providing “excruciating detail” on the impact of leaving the EU were criticised for containing little more than padding, repetition and plagiarism. |
| Months of pressure for disclosure of the economic analysis culminated, several hours before the Christmas parliamentary recess, with the publication of most of the 850 pages recently provided to a Commons select committee by the Brexit secretary, David Davis. | Months of pressure for disclosure of the economic analysis culminated, several hours before the Christmas parliamentary recess, with the publication of most of the 850 pages recently provided to a Commons select committee by the Brexit secretary, David Davis. |
| Davis had previously claimed there was extensive Whitehall analysis of “about 50 cross-cutting sectors, [for] what is going to happen to them”. But when a Labour-led vote demanded these forecasts be released to MPs, the Brexit secretary said he had been misunderstood and told the committee no impact assessments existed, only analysis of each sector’s current dependency on the EU. | Davis had previously claimed there was extensive Whitehall analysis of “about 50 cross-cutting sectors, [for] what is going to happen to them”. But when a Labour-led vote demanded these forecasts be released to MPs, the Brexit secretary said he had been misunderstood and told the committee no impact assessments existed, only analysis of each sector’s current dependency on the EU. |
| Nevertheless, the limited nature of the unredacted civil service reports that were finally made public on Thursday left many observers shocked. “There is little overarching analysis by the government, ” said Lord Jay, the former head of the Foreign Office who is now acting chair of the Lords Brexit committee. “No conclusions are drawn with regard to the UK’s future relationship with the EU.” | Nevertheless, the limited nature of the unredacted civil service reports that were finally made public on Thursday left many observers shocked. “There is little overarching analysis by the government, ” said Lord Jay, the former head of the Foreign Office who is now acting chair of the Lords Brexit committee. “No conclusions are drawn with regard to the UK’s future relationship with the EU.” |
| He accused the reports of being “inconsistent in approach and in the use of statistics”, with double-counting in some sectors, and redacted portions that had been taken from evidence given in other public hearings. | He accused the reports of being “inconsistent in approach and in the use of statistics”, with double-counting in some sectors, and redacted portions that had been taken from evidence given in other public hearings. |
| The Commons committee chairman, Hilary Benn, said he had held back sections that supposedly contained evidence presented in private to the government, but otherwise had been assured there was nothing in the documents that could compromise Britain’s negotiating position or be construed as market-sensitive or confidential. | The Commons committee chairman, Hilary Benn, said he had held back sections that supposedly contained evidence presented in private to the government, but otherwise had been assured there was nothing in the documents that could compromise Britain’s negotiating position or be construed as market-sensitive or confidential. |
| Instead, the vast majority of the “analysis” proved to be rudimentary descriptions of Britain’s economic activity, including observations on its status as an island, the importance of farming to food production and the tendency for banks to be located where people live. | Instead, the vast majority of the “analysis” proved to be rudimentary descriptions of Britain’s economic activity, including observations on its status as an island, the importance of farming to food production and the tendency for banks to be located where people live. |
| “The food chain includes agriculture” | “The food chain includes agriculture” |
| “The demand for air travel drives the demand for aircraft” | “The demand for air travel drives the demand for aircraft” |
| “In coastal communities fishing brings employment and economic activity” | “In coastal communities fishing brings employment and economic activity” |
| “As an island nation, the UK has been dependent on the sea … throughout history” | “As an island nation, the UK has been dependent on the sea … throughout history” |
| “Banks are found all over the UK, largely in proportion to population” | “Banks are found all over the UK, largely in proportion to population” |
| “[Industry] is characterised by some very large firms … and a large number of small firms” | “[Industry] is characterised by some very large firms … and a large number of small firms” |
| “Short crossing[s] tend to be favoured for time-critical cargoes” | “Short crossing[s] tend to be favoured for time-critical cargoes” |
| “The higher education sector has different economic characteristics to manufacturing” | “The higher education sector has different economic characteristics to manufacturing” |
| “Agricultural output is characterised by fluctuations due to weather” | “Agricultural output is characterised by fluctuations due to weather” |
| “A well-known exchange is the London Stock Exchange, where companies obtain a listing for newly issued equities (eg UK company shares) and where those shares are subsequently traded.” | “A well-known exchange is the London Stock Exchange, where companies obtain a listing for newly issued equities (eg UK company shares) and where those shares are subsequently traded.” |
| Only in rare moments are there observations about Britain’s economic dependency on the EU that could be construed as criticism or warnings about Brexit. | Only in rare moments are there observations about Britain’s economic dependency on the EU that could be construed as criticism or warnings about Brexit. |
| A section on agriculture, for example, points out that “95% of official veterinarians in the meat hygiene sector are from the EU” as well as the “vast majority” of seasonal agricultural employees. | A section on agriculture, for example, points out that “95% of official veterinarians in the meat hygiene sector are from the EU” as well as the “vast majority” of seasonal agricultural employees. |
| The car industry is said to be dependent on the EU for 56% of its exports, but facing 10% tariffs in the absence of a trade deal. | The car industry is said to be dependent on the EU for 56% of its exports, but facing 10% tariffs in the absence of a trade deal. |
| And the City of London is warned that the damage from leaving the single market cannot be circumvented by relying on so-called equivalency rules. | And the City of London is warned that the damage from leaving the single market cannot be circumvented by relying on so-called equivalency rules. |
| “Equivalence would not support continued cross-border banking activity between the UK and EU,” says the report. “The European commission has said that the purpose of its equivalence regimes is not to open up international trade”. | “Equivalence would not support continued cross-border banking activity between the UK and EU,” says the report. “The European commission has said that the purpose of its equivalence regimes is not to open up international trade”. |
| The government insists the documents are consistent with its more recent depictions of the work as largely backward-looking assessments rather than the forward-looking forecasts required in formal Whitehall impact assessments. | The government insists the documents are consistent with its more recent depictions of the work as largely backward-looking assessments rather than the forward-looking forecasts required in formal Whitehall impact assessments. |
| “The government’s sectoral analysis is a wide mix of qualitative and quantitative analysis contained in a range of documents developed at different times since the referendum,” says a cover note included by officials. | “The government’s sectoral analysis is a wide mix of qualitative and quantitative analysis contained in a range of documents developed at different times since the referendum,” says a cover note included by officials. |
| Each report begins: “As the government has already made clear, it is not the case that 58 sectoral impact assessments exist.” Many include the caveat: “The views in this section do not represent a government position”. | Each report begins: “As the government has already made clear, it is not the case that 58 sectoral impact assessments exist.” Many include the caveat: “The views in this section do not represent a government position”. |
| The Department for Exiting the EU also said a number of the original 58 sectors had been amalgamated because of overlapping observations. But even among the 39 that were published, there are many lengthy sections that appear in identical form elsewhere in the documents, particularly on trade deals. | The Department for Exiting the EU also said a number of the original 58 sectors had been amalgamated because of overlapping observations. But even among the 39 that were published, there are many lengthy sections that appear in identical form elsewhere in the documents, particularly on trade deals. |
| “This is the biggest case of ‘the dog ate my homework’ the world has ever seen,” said the Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman, Tom Brake. “We’ve been given binders of old information, extracts from Wikipedia, and a few choice quotes, and yet nothing at all on how Brexit will hit each sector. Now the government’s woeful failure to prepare for Brexit has been laid bare in front of the whole country.” | “This is the biggest case of ‘the dog ate my homework’ the world has ever seen,” said the Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman, Tom Brake. “We’ve been given binders of old information, extracts from Wikipedia, and a few choice quotes, and yet nothing at all on how Brexit will hit each sector. Now the government’s woeful failure to prepare for Brexit has been laid bare in front of the whole country.” |
| Brexit | Brexit |
| David Davis | David Davis |
| Foreign policy | Foreign policy |
| European Union | European Union |
| Europe | Europe |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |