Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Deferred
Paragraph: 93
Government's unclear approach to regional recruitment risks stereotyping communities
Conclusion
Recruiting staff to regional offices has the potential to open up the civil service as a career to a wider number of people. This can have benefits both for civil servants (enabling them to pursue a career in government without necessarily having to move to London) and for government policy (if it leads to greater understanding within departments about the differing needs of local communities). The Government’s thinking about how to achieve these benefits appears unclear, however. In particular, there is a risk that in viewing certain communities outside London as being more representative of the country as a whole, the Government is stereotyping communities outside the capital as all being essentially the same and all being radically different to the varied communities in London, overriding local differences in needs and interests. It remains to be seen how HM Treasury’s Darlington Economic Campus will improve policy-making for the remainder of the country.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledged that the issues raised are a difficult area, referencing the Minister's prior evidence session, but did not commit to any specific actions or provide further clarification.
Paragraph Reference:
93
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
15. This is a difficult area as the Minister for the Cabinet Office made clear in his evidence session.