IPPR report addresses important issues of accountability

The IPPR report offers the chance for a more reasoned debate by setting out in detail experience from overseas and allaying some of the fears over politicization. Its aim is explicitly ‘to make the Civil Service more accountable, more effective and more responsive, while at the same time preserving its political neutrality…. and a merit-based, non-partisan Civil Service’. The proposed reforms are intended to improve ministerial confidence in the Civil Service, to go with the grain of current Whitehall practice and to be easily implemented. The Institute for Government has been carrying out its own accountability project for the past nine months, run by Akash Paun and Joshua Harris, and we have already published papers on: • the lessons from Australia and New Zealand • strengthening ministerial offices • appointment of permanent secretaries. We have shared our thinking throughout with IPPR and our analysis and conclusions are in many, though not all, areas similar. In particular, there is considerable overlap on three proposals: 1. ‘Giving the Prime Minister the power to appoint permanent secretaries, choosing from a list of appointable candidates’. The Civil Service Commission would draw up the list to ensure appointments are made on merit. (IPPR) This is [...]