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David Cameron facing MPs on civil service and press regulation David Cameron hails 'real improvements' in civil service
(35 minutes later)
David Cameron is defending his plans for the future of civil service reform and newspaper regulation as he faces questions from senior MPs. David Cameron has defended his shake-up of the civil service, saying there have been "real improvements in efficiency and competence".
The prime minister is making his twice-yearly appearance before the liaison committee of select committee chairs. The prime minister told a committee of senior MPs that relations between ministers and their officials were generally "harmonious".
He is being questioned on the ability of the civil service to deliver big projects in the wake of criticism of their handling of the Universal Credit. It comes after a report by a committee of MPs said trust had broken down.
The governance of the BBC could also be raised after rows over severance pay. Mr Cameron cited the 2012 Olympics and progress on Crossrail as evidence that big projects could be delivered.
The prime minister is being questioned by the chairs of eleven select committees, including work and pensions, home affairs, transport, political reform, public administration, media and public accounts. And while he could not rule out "another IT failure", he said the government would learn from setbacks.
'Breakdown in trust' The prime minister is being questioned by the chairmen of eleven select committees, including work and pensions, home affairs, transport, political reform, public administration, media and public accounts.
He is being asked about the government's plans to shake up the civil service in an effort to make Whitehall less bureaucratic, more focused on implementing policy and able to deliver improved services with scarcer resources. 'Right track'
MPs have warned of a "breakdown in trust" between ministers and civil servants following recriminations about high-profile project failures, such as the botched West Coast mainline franchise process and the e-borders immigration initiative. The government launched a plan last year to make Whitehall less bureaucratic, more focused on implementing policy and able to deliver improved services with scarcer resources.
In a highly critical report last week, the public spending watchdog said the introduction of its flagship welfare plan, the Universal Credit, had been hampered by poor leadership, a "good news" culture among civil servants and a lack of project management and IT experience. MPs have warned of a "breakdown in trust" between ministers and civil servants following recriminations about high-profile project failures, such as the botched West Coast mainline franchise process and the much-delayed e-borders immigration system.
MPs will also explore proposals for a new system of independent regulation of the newspaper industry, agreed by the three main party leaders in the wake of the Leveson report into press standards and the phone hacking scandal. In a highly critical report last week, the public spending watchdog said the introduction of the government's flagship welfare plan, the Universal Credit, had been hampered by poor leadership, a "good news" culture among civil servants and a lack of project management and IT experience.
Mr Cameron said there were skills shortages in the civil service, such as commercial and IT expertise, and that must be put right but he said the radical changes that have been introduced in education and other areas showed the system was not "gummed up".
"There are changes we need to make. We are making them. Do we need to go faster? Probably but we are on the right track."
Asked by Labour MP Margaret Hodge about the future of the head of the Civil Service, Sir Bob Kerslake, Mr Cameron said he was doing a good job and, amid reports that No 10 was dissatisfied, insisted that "you should not always believe what you read in the newspapers".
Press changes
MPs will later explore proposals for a new system of independent regulation of the newspaper industry, agreed by the three main party leaders in the wake of the Leveson report into press standards and the phone hacking scandal.
The newspaper industry is opposed to the cross-party regulatory framework, to be established via Royal Charter, which would give the new regulator the power to impose fines of up to £1m and to force newspaper to publish upfront corrections and apologies.The newspaper industry is opposed to the cross-party regulatory framework, to be established via Royal Charter, which would give the new regulator the power to impose fines of up to £1m and to force newspaper to publish upfront corrections and apologies.
It has proposed an alternative system which it says is based on Leveson's recommendation for continued self-regulation, which would see Parliament stripped of planned powers to block or approve future changes to regulation and make it harder to bring group complaints.It has proposed an alternative system which it says is based on Leveson's recommendation for continued self-regulation, which would see Parliament stripped of planned powers to block or approve future changes to regulation and make it harder to bring group complaints.
The Privy Council is due to consider the alternative proposals later this year.The Privy Council is due to consider the alternative proposals later this year.
The prime minister last appeared before the committee in March, when he was questioned about events in Syria and the rest of the Middle East and food safety issues following the horsemeat scandal.The prime minister last appeared before the committee in March, when he was questioned about events in Syria and the rest of the Middle East and food safety issues following the horsemeat scandal.