EXTRA-Civil Service

Question 1

What does the civil service comprise of?

Answer 1

all government departments and executive agencies in Great Britain and includes the Diplomatic Service

Question 2

What year was the peak of the number of civil servants?

Answer 2

1976

Question 3

In 1979 what was the peak number of civil servants?

Answer 3

750,000

Question 4

By 1999 what had the number of civil servants fallen to?

Answer 4

460,000

Question 5

Why by 1999 had the number of civil servants fallen to 460,000? (3)

Answer 5

due to

• privatisation
• outsourcing
• cutbacks

Question 6

How many civil servants were there in 2016?

Answer 6

420,000

Question 7

What do the senior civil servants comprise of?

Answer 7

around 700-800 leading officials

Question 8

How many civil servants were there in 2016 which were full time?

Answer 8

315,000

Question 9

Who is the head of each department of the civil service?

Answer 9

a Permanent Secretary

Question 10

How are civil servants recruited?

Answer 10

on merit since the middle of the 19th century

Question 11

Who were usually those selected for the civil service?

Answer 11

those with first class degrees from older and more prestigious universities

Question 12

In what decade did academics and commentators lament the civil services’ relevant training and skills with their narrow background?

Answer 12

1960s

Question 13

Which 1968 report called for changes so that there might be a movement away from this ‘cult of amateur’?

Answer 13

the Fulton Report

Question 14

What did the Fulton Report 1968 point out?

Answer 14

that there should be a movement away from this ‘cult of amateur’

Question 15

Since the 1990’s what has there been done to the civil service to move away from the ‘cult of amateur’?

Answer 15

there have been more temporary secondments between commerce

Question 16

Since the 1990’s what has there been a broadening basis of recruitment of? (3)

Answer 16

• increased recruitment of non-oxbrudge universities
• a movement away from the arts subjects
• greater scope for women and members of ethnic minorities

Question 17

What have various enquires into the ‘bias’ of the civli service suggested?

Answer 17

that it may not be a conscious preference for a certain type of character, more that younger people with those backgrounds tend to apply to join the civil service

Question 18

What are 3 qualities of candidates from oxbridge when they perform well in interviews?

Answer 18

• confidence
• well spoken
• plenty of savour faire

Question 19

in 2016 what % of civil servants were from an ethnic minority background?

Answer 19

11.2%

Question 20

What % of civil servants were between 30-59?

Answer 20

80%+

Question 21

What are the 4 core roles of the higher civil service who work in Whitehall?

Answer 21

• preparing legislation
• administration
• helping to develop the departments attitudes and work
• policy implementation/management

Question 22

How do higher civil servants perform the role of preparing legislation?

Answer 22

they draw up answers to parliamentary questions

Question 23

How do the higher civil servants perform the role of administration?

Answer 23

they oversee and carry out the day to day work of the department

Question 24

What may be involved when the higher civil servants perform the role of administration when they oversee and carry out the day to day work of the department?

Answer 24

meeting up with representatives of pressure groups ro dealing with difficult, non routine practical problems

Question 25

Under who's leadership did policy implementation of the higher civil service become increasingly important?

Answer 25

Thatcher and post Thatcher years

Question 26

What % of work does the Permanent Secretary direct and supervise?

Answer 26

85-90%

Question 27

What are the 3 doctrines of the higher civil service?

Answer 27

- Impartiality - Permanence - Neutrality

Question 28

unlike the US what do the civl servants not do at election time?

Answer 28

they do not change

Question 29

What is the permanence of the civil service associated with?

Answer 29

experience and continuity

Question 30

What does permanence coupled with confidentiality mean for civil servants?

Answer 30

that they can speak frankly to ministers without fear of dismissal

Question 31

What could the permanence, which means 'no change at the top' mean?

Answer 31

that the civil service is stifled from fresh thinking and new initiatives

Question 32

What does it mean by neutrality?

Answer 32

officials are required to be politically impartial , not letting their personal political leanings affect their actions

Question 33

Why would it be difficult for the civli servants to remain in office?

Answer 33

if they were partisan

Question 34

What have some political observers claimed the British civil service to have become in the last decade of the 20th century?

Answer 34

increasingly politicised

Question 35

Why do some critics argue that neutrality puts it too strongly?

Answer 35

as civil servants are expected to further the policies of the elected government

Question 36

Who are special advisers?

Answer 36

these are advisers who are appointed to provide political advice, assessment and support to ministers, offering an alternative perspective to those provided by civil servants

Question 37

IN what 2 decades was there an increase of the number of special advisers?

Answer 37

1980's and 1990's

Question 38

Who did critics note the involvement of when appointing senior civil servants?

Answer 38

the ministers

Question 39

How is the PM supposed to appoint senior civil servants?

Answer 39

from a handful of shortlisted candidates purely on the basis of merit without political consideration

Question 40

Which PM exercised their powers of patronage to select senior civil servants who were efficient managers and who were sympathetic to the governments aims?

Answer 40

Margret Thatcher

Question 41

What is the role of civil servants under anonymity?

Answer 41

to offer confidential advice in secret

Question 42

What would be endangered if civil servants became public figures?

Answer 42

this would endanger their reputation for neutrality as they could be identified with a particular policy

Question 43

Other than being identified by the public with a particular policy, what might also prevent civil servants from offering frank advice to ministers?

Answer 43

if they knew they could be named

Question 44

What are 3 disadvantages of anonymity

Answer 44

- conceal poor advice - give less incentive for officials to improve their effectiveness - shield them from consequences of any inadequacy

Question 45

How have civil servants become less anonymous?

Answer 45

they are more recognisable from investigatory reports and they appear before select committees of the HOC

Question 46

What are the 4 core values as defined by the 2006 new civil service code

Answer 46

- integrity - honesty - objectivity - impartiality