Union leader expresses concern on BBC Daily Politics about DIUS dismantling

On BBC Two's Daily Politics programme this afternoon, FDA general secretary Jonathan Baume described the dismantling of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), after its formation less than two years ago, as "a headache" for the civil service.

Emphasising the problems associated with frequent machinery-of-government changes, he said: "There has been a lot of concern about how departments are re-organised without any clear explanation of the business case."

He said that, at a political level, it appeared that insufficient thought was given to the amount of work involved in setting up or breaking up departments.

But there is, he said, "no perfect solution to where you put different functions".

DIUS, over the past 20 months, "had been trying to work out all of the practical business side of the organisation, as well as the people side of it…and developing… a sense of focus."

He said that according to last year's DIUS annual report, "something over £7 million" had been spent on setting up the department.

The Government announced on 5 June that DIUS's responsibilities were to be absorbed into a new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Watch FDA general secretary Jonathan Baume on the Daily Politics programme:
BBC Two Daily Politics 11 June 2009

Read the FDA's press release on the dismantling of DIUS:
Government playing politics with civil service departments