Characteristics and roles of the Civil Service

Question 1

What are the 3 interlocking principles which civil servants traditionally operate under?

Answer 1

• Anonymity
• Permanence
• Impartiality

Question 2

What is the theory of civil servant impartiality ?

Answer 2

that civil servants serve the Crown and should not be asked to perform party political functions

Question 3

What has undermined the impartiality of the civil service? (2)

Answer 3

impartiality has been undermined by the

• rise of special advisers
• by the politicalisation of the service since 1979

Question 4

What is the theory behind the anonymity of the civil service?

Answer 4

Individual civil servants should not be identified publicly as the source of policy

Question 5

Why should individual servants not be identified publicly as the source of policy?

Answer 5

due to the doctrine of ministerial responsibility

Question 6

What has undermined the anonymity of the civil service? (2)

Answer 6

anonymity has been undermined by

• public criticism of named civi servants over policy
• the rise of agencies where civil servants and not ministers appear to be responsible for policy

Question 7

When did the politicisation of the civil service begin?

Answer 7

1979

Question 8

When is an example of when a civil servant had been publicly named over policy?

Answer 8

over the Westland Affair in 1986

Question 9

What is an example of when the anonymity of the civil service has been undermined when the rise of agencies have led to the civil servants and not the ministers to be responsible for policy

Answer 9

the Prison Service

Question 10

What is the theory behind the permanence of the civil service?

Answer 10

civil servants should remain in office even following a change in government

Question 11

In practise, what is the actual reality of the permanence of the civil service?

Answer 11

many civil servants are now on fixed term contracts

Question 12

What fourth principle to some suggest should be added to the 3 commonly ascribed to the UK civil service?

Answer 12

confidentiality

Question 13

traditionally, what Act were the civil servants bound by?

Answer 13

the Official Secrets Act

Question 14

What were the terms of the Official Secrets Act in which bound civil servants?

Answer 14

• They could not choose to reveal their advice

- Could not be forced to reveal advice

Question 15

Why was David Shayler sentenced to 6 months imprisonment in 2002?

Answer 15

for leaking information relating to the MI5 operations

Question 16

In what year was David Shayler sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for leaking information relating to MI5 operations ?

Answer 16

2002

Question 17

Who was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment in 2002 for leaking information relating to M15 operations?

Answer 17

David Shayler

Question 18

What are the 5 roles of the civil service?

Answer 18

1) Research
2) Policy advice
3) Policy execution
4) departmental administration
5) ensuring continuity and a smooth transition between governments

Question 19

What do civil servant specialists provide the government which is essential to policy formation?

Answer 19

the detailed research

Question 20

Why is the role of civil servants to have detailed research a crucial role?

Answer 20

as most ministers are generalists

Question 21

How many top bureaucrats are there in the senior civil service?

Answer 21

1,000

Question 22

What is the crucial role of the 1,000 top bureaucrats in the senior civil service? (2)

Answer 22

In advising ministers and presenting proposals at the ministers request

Question 23

Who is the crucial role of executing government policy now done with?

Answer 23

with government agencies

Question 24

In terms of departmental administration which is the civil service responsible for?

Answer 24

the organisation of each government department

Question 25

How is the role of the civil service to provide continuity through ministerial reshuffles and changes in government achieved?

Answer 25

through their principles of impartiality, anonymity and permanence