Protecting public services from corporate corruption - 10 September 2002

The FDA today called on the government to work with the Public Administration Committee, the Trades Union Congress and other interested bodies to agree, as a matter of urgency, the terms of a new public service code to govern private sector companies delivering public services. FDA general secretary Jonathan Baume said that recent widespread failures of corporate governance in the private sector (exemplified by potentially fraudulent accounting practices and a lack of ethical standards) had added new strength to the arguments for a code to safeguard the public service ethos. "Greed is not good, nor an appropriate motivator in delivering public services. The public service ethos of impartiality, accountability, trust, equity, probity and service has helped to keep the UK’s public services among the least corrupt in the world." "Recent events have shown all too clearly that if the government is determined to increase the extent of private sector delivery of public service, then there must be a public service code to ensure that the ethical standards expected of public servants and public service bodies are observed." "The code should also state that private providers must make themselves accountable through elected representatives for their policies and performance, with the highest standards of openness and transparency. It must follow that all public service contracts to private sector providers should be public documents." The FDA has submitted a motion to the Trades Union Congress calling for urgent action on a public service code. The Commons Public Administration Committee published a draft code on 23 June. ENDS