EXTRA-Changes in the civil service in recent decades Flashcards
What was the British civil service likened as?
Rolls Royce
Why was the British civil service likened to the Rolls Royce?
this is because in terms of handling policy issues and the transition from one government to another, it is efficient
What 3 things were reasons why by the 1960’s and 1970’s the civil service needed change?
1) civil service elitism was much criticised
2) the service was increasingly seen as a barrier to radical change
3) Members lacked necessary qualities for running a modern state
What were those on the left critical of in regards to the civil service elitism?
they were critical of the social composition of the organisation
Why did those on the left want change because of civil service elitism?
as it was hoped that fundamental reform would improve the quality of personnel within the civil service and this in turn would improve the quality of advice given to ministers
Who saw the service as having a barrier to radical change?
not just those on the Left but also by reform minded Conservatives of the Thatcherite variety
Why was the civil service seen as needing change due to the lack of necessary qualities for running a modern state?
as the role of the government expanded in the days of the Welfare State and Managed Economy, special expertise was needed if the best possible advice was to be available to ministers however there was a feeling that civil servants were insufficiently innovative and business minded
What report of 1968 tackled some of the issues with the civil service?
the Fulton Report
What issue in particular did the Fulton Report 1968 tackle?
the rigidity of the structure and the need for improved recruitment and training of personnel
In who’s premiership was the pace of reform accelerated?
Thatcher and Major
In Margret Thatcher’s what did she see a large bureaucracy went hand in hand with?
the ‘big government’ which she so despised
What would MT’s want of ‘rolling back the frontiers of the state’ involve?
curbing a civil service which had become unnecessarily large
Why was Margret Thatcher suspicious of the power and type of civil servants?
as she believed that they might use their permanence and expertise to develop their own views of what was needed rather then assist in carrying out the wishes of the government of the day
What did MT believe was a poor quality of many of the civil servants?
that many were general all rounders rather than expert administrators
What did MT achieve substantial cuts in?
the number of personnel
Who are 2 outsiders which MT brought in to challenge the attitudes and outlook of many senior officials?
Sir John Hoskyns and Sir Derek Rayner
What did Sir John Hoskyn and Sir Derek Rayner do as two outsiders brought in my MT?
they challenged the attitudes and outlook of many senior officials and were responsible for cost conscious policies and efficiency savings
Who did MT appoint to run the Efficiency unit?
Sir Derek Ibbs
What did Sir Derek Ibbs run?
the Efficiency unit
What was Sir Derek Ibbs influential report?
‘Improving management in government: the next steps’
What did Sir Derek Ibbs influential report argue for?
for the creation of a slimmed down, better managed civil service
What did the Blair government establish in order to improve policy coordination and implementation?
the Performance and Innovation Unit in the Cabinet Office
Specifically what was the Performance and Innovation Unit in the Cabinet Office created to do?
to sort out departmental disputes
What type of government was Blair committed to?
‘joined up’
Tony Blair heard departmentalitis, what is this?
this is the idea that civil servants tended to adopt a policy view and keep to it whichever party was in power
IN order to break the stranglehold of traditional methods what did TB do?
he brought in outsiders
What reflected TB’s fondness for changed thinking?
his fondness for political advisers
By how many did TB increase the overall number of political advisers by from 38 in the Major years by the time of his departure?
from 38 to 80
What do political advisors add to government?
they add a political dimension to the opinions gained from ciivil servants and are there to help ministers who may be too susceptible to official advice
What did former minister Mo Mowlam say about political advisers?
that they give ‘strong central support and political focus’
How long are political advisers usually appointed for?
they are usually appointed for the life time of an administration
What do some civil servants feel about political advisers?
that they are trespassing on their domain
What did the Neill Committee in 2000 recommend that the number of special advisers should be restricted to?
100
Who recommended that the number of special advisers should be restricted to 100?
the Neill Committee
What view did Neill reject about special advisers?
that they had broken Whitehall rules or that there has been an unhealthy ‘politicisation’ of the civil service
What did former special adviser any tory critic MP Tyrie say about special advisers?
that they are effectively unelected ministers
Why did Jo Moore resign under their work for the Transport Secretary in 2001?
as this followed a scandal relating to an email sent by Jo Moore on the day of 9/11 which said that it was a good day to bury news
What have civil servants said is a useful role of the special advisers?
that they carry out work that could raise doubts about civli service neutrality
