Union welcomes commitment to Civil Service Act - 11 September 2003

The FDA today welcomed the government's broad endorsement of the ninth report by the Wicks Committee on Standards in Public Life (Defining the boundaries within the executive: ministers, special advisers and the permanent civil service), and its renewed commitment to publish a draft Civil Service Act.

FDA general secretary Jonathan Baume said: "A Civil Service Act is an essential requirement to maintain the long term political impartiality and integrity of the civil service. We now want to see an end to the prevarication of the past three years, and we hope real progress will be made after the publication of the Public Administration Select Committee report next month.

"However, we are extremely concerned at the continuing and insidious campaign to allow ministers more say in the appointment and promotion of civil servants. We have no doubt whatsoever that such a facility would be abused.

"We welcome the government's endorsement of the Wicks Committee's clarification of the roles and accountability of special advisers. Special advisers are a genuine asset to the system of government in the UK, and ministers, civil servants and special advisers themselves will all benefit from the implementation of the committee's recommendations."

Ends

Notes for Editors 1. The FDA is the trade union and professional body representing the UK's 11,000 senior civil and public servants. Our members include policy advisors, senior managers, tax inspectors, economists, statisticians, accountants, special advisers, government lawyers, crown prosecutors and NHS managers.

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