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| Ministers to get new powers to appoint civil servants | Ministers to get new powers to appoint civil servants |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Ministers are to be given new powers to appoint civil servants who will work in larger ministerial offices staffed by special advisers and external experts on fixed-term contracts. | Ministers are to be given new powers to appoint civil servants who will work in larger ministerial offices staffed by special advisers and external experts on fixed-term contracts. |
| The change agreed with the head of the civil service amounts to a mini-revolution as civil servants will be accountable to the cabinet minister, and not the permanent secretary, the senior civil servant in charge of the department. | The change agreed with the head of the civil service amounts to a mini-revolution as civil servants will be accountable to the cabinet minister, and not the permanent secretary, the senior civil servant in charge of the department. |
| The chief of staff of the private office may also be a special adviser, but they will not have powers to direct staff to behave politically. | The chief of staff of the private office may also be a special adviser, but they will not have powers to direct staff to behave politically. |
| The move follows recommendations from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the thinktank commissioned by Francis Maude, the cabinet office minister in charge of the civil service, and a report from the Institute for Government, the Whitehall thinktank. | The move follows recommendations from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the thinktank commissioned by Francis Maude, the cabinet office minister in charge of the civil service, and a report from the Institute for Government, the Whitehall thinktank. |
| The IPPR looked at other systems, such as those in Australia and Canada, and concluded that British ministers were under-supported. | The IPPR looked at other systems, such as those in Australia and Canada, and concluded that British ministers were under-supported. |
| The new extended ministerial offices are expected to comprise a mix of civil servants and special advisers, but the bulk will be civil servants personally appointed by ministers. Maude does not believe the reform requires legislation or changes to the civil service code, but it will provide ministers with a team committed to the minister's objectives. | The new extended ministerial offices are expected to comprise a mix of civil servants and special advisers, but the bulk will be civil servants personally appointed by ministers. Maude does not believe the reform requires legislation or changes to the civil service code, but it will provide ministers with a team committed to the minister's objectives. |
| It will be up to each minister to decide if they want to operate an extended office, but each would need the approval of the prime minister in the case of a Tory cabinet minister or a deputy prime minister in the case of a Liberal Democrat. Budgets will not be expanded to accommodate these offices, and there will be no absolute fixed size. | |
| A Cabinet Office source said the proposals had cross-party support, pointing out the IPPR report has been praised by Margaret Hodge, the Labour chair of the public accounts committee. | A Cabinet Office source said the proposals had cross-party support, pointing out the IPPR report has been praised by Margaret Hodge, the Labour chair of the public accounts committee. |
| The idea also won praise from the former justice minister Nick Herbert, a strong advocate of civil service reform. | The idea also won praise from the former justice minister Nick Herbert, a strong advocate of civil service reform. |
| He said: "Other parliamentary democracies give far more support to ministers, and we should too. This isn't about politicising the civil service, it's about being able to bring in people with necessary expertise. The truth is that our closed system of administration is no longer equal to the challenges faced by modern governments, and it's time to open it up." | He said: "Other parliamentary democracies give far more support to ministers, and we should too. This isn't about politicising the civil service, it's about being able to bring in people with necessary expertise. The truth is that our closed system of administration is no longer equal to the challenges faced by modern governments, and it's time to open it up." |
| The IPPR in its report said: "There should be a clear and transparent right for each secretary of state to request the appointment of a small number of expert advisers outside of ordinary civil service recruitment processes. These expert advisers should have clearly defined roles relating to advice to the minister on policy, implementation and strategy (drawing on the wider expertise of the department), and to monitoring the delivery of ministerial priorities. | The IPPR in its report said: "There should be a clear and transparent right for each secretary of state to request the appointment of a small number of expert advisers outside of ordinary civil service recruitment processes. These expert advisers should have clearly defined roles relating to advice to the minister on policy, implementation and strategy (drawing on the wider expertise of the department), and to monitoring the delivery of ministerial priorities. |
| "In comparative terms UK ministers have relatively little direct support to draw on to enable them to do their jobs effectively. | "In comparative terms UK ministers have relatively little direct support to draw on to enable them to do their jobs effectively. |
| Political appointees would not be able to formally direct civil servants. However, the office would be integrated and made to cohere by virtue of the fact that all staff would be personal appointments of the minister. " | |
| The reformed ministerial office might comprise the following staff, directly appointed by the minister: | The reformed ministerial office might comprise the following staff, directly appointed by the minister: |
| • A principal private secretary, as now, to manage the office and its civil servants, including the private secretaries, diary managers and so on. | |
| • A team of policy advisers and implementation/delivery staff to cover the main policy areas of the department and ensure that the priorities of the secretary of state were being implemented. This team would contain a mix of officials, outside expert advisers, and political appointees. | |
| • An adviser(s) and/or a chief press officer to cover communications and press relations; a political secretary and political/party liaison staff; speechwriters. |