The Government has ruled out wide-ranging reform of the Civil Service on the day a review by a former minister called for changes to a “Byzantine and opaque” Whitehall bureaucracy.
Francis Maude, who served as Cabinet Office minister under David Cameron, recommended streamlining the governance of the Civil Service in a report published on Monday after a year-long review.
Describing current structures as “opaque”, “unclear” and “archaic”, Lord Maude said the centre of government should be reorganised and the role of the cabinet secretary should be split between a policy adviser and a full-time “head of the civil service” role.
But in a written statement on Monday morning, then-Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin said implementing Lord Maude’s long-term recommendations “would serve to detract from the focus on the Prime Minister’s five critical priorities” if implemented now.
Mr Quin explicitly ruled out “a significant restructure of the machinery of central Government” or changes to the role of cabinet secretary.
Some changes proposed by Lord Maude are already under way, Mr Quin added, including the introduction of a training programme for new ministers, reviewing public bodies to improve efficiency and improving the process of identifying new chairs for public bodies.
Mr Quin said the review was “a welcome contribution” and added the Government would consider its recommendations “carefully”.
Other changes suggested by Lord Maude included giving ministers a greater role in the appointment of some civil servants, but said moving to a system similar to that in the US where senior officials are appointed by each new administration would create “delay and discontinuity”.
But Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect trade union, accused Lord Maude of proposing the “politicisation” of the Civil Service.
He said: “While we may welcome some of Francis Maude’s proposals the idea that ministers should be able to politicise Civil Service appointments is simply wrong. It would remove one of the most essential founding principles which sets us apart from less effective systems of government.”
