Committee on Standards in Public Life: Defining the boundaries within the Executive: Ministers, Sp…
R9-31
Published April 2003
Response position and delivery status are recorded separately. Acceptance does not establish implementation.
Recommendation (the Committee's words)
(a) The existence of two posts in the Prime Minister’s Office with executive powers should be a matter for Parliamentary debate and agreement.
(b) Special advisers with executive powers should not:
(i) ask civil servants to do anything improper or illegal, or anything which might undermine the role and duties of permanent civil servants;
(ii) undermine the political impartiality of civil servants or the duty of civil servants to give honest and impartial advice to Ministers;
(iii) have any role in the appraisal, reward, discipline or promotion of permanent civil servants. But they may:
(iv) have powers to authorise the spending of government money chargeable to the Prime Minister’s Office;
(v) have a role in the line management of civil servants in the Prime Minister’s Office;
(vi) have charge of or direction over the work of GICS members in the Prime Minister’s Office.
(c) The Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary should have the responsibility of drawing to the attention of the Prime Minister any concerns that he or she may have about the ability of civil servants in the office to maintain their political impartiality. (page 66)
(b) Special advisers with executive powers should not:
(i) ask civil servants to do anything improper or illegal, or anything which might undermine the role and duties of permanent civil servants;
(ii) undermine the political impartiality of civil servants or the duty of civil servants to give honest and impartial advice to Ministers;
(iii) have any role in the appraisal, reward, discipline or promotion of permanent civil servants. But they may:
(iv) have powers to authorise the spending of government money chargeable to the Prime Minister’s Office;
(v) have a role in the line management of civil servants in the Prime Minister’s Office;
(vi) have charge of or direction over the work of GICS members in the Prime Minister’s Office.
(c) The Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary should have the responsibility of drawing to the attention of the Prime Minister any concerns that he or she may have about the ability of civil servants in the office to maintain their political impartiality. (page 66)
From: Committee on Standards in Public Life, Defining the boundaries within the Executive: Ministers, Special Advisers and the permanent Civil Service, April 2003