Blunkett crisis shows need for Civil Service Act - 21 December 2004

The boundaries between Ministers and civil servants should be set out in a Civil Service Act to help prevent any recurrence of the events that have led to David Blunkett's resignation, argued the FDA. Sir Alan Budd reported that a 'chain of events' linked David Blunkett to expediting the visa application for his ex-lover's nanny, but Sir Alan was not able to determine what instructions Mr Blunkett gave to civil servants, if any, to speed up the case. Jonathan Baume, FDA general secretary, said: "Sir Alan Budd clearly lays responsibility for fast tracking the visa application with David Blunkett, who took the honourable step of resigning. He also found no evidence of impropriety by any civil servant. However, we are uneasy that once again there is widespread public concern that the boundaries between the activities of ministers and civil servants may have been blurred. This has been a recurring problem under both Conservative and Labour Governments. "We should resolve these issues once and for all. The Government has published a draft civil service bill which we believe forms a basis for legislation. There is no reason why this could not be made law within a matter of months. "An Act would need to be underpinned by an active culture in the Government and civil service where all are aware of their rights and duties, ultimately overseen by Parliament. "We are pleased that Sir Alan has firmly scotched the lurid media reports over the past fortnight of a 'cover-up' in the Home Office by confirming that he has had the full co-operation of all of the civil servants involved."