Accountability of Civil Servants Oral and Written Evidence
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SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION The accountability of civil servants Oral and written evidence Contents Lord Armstrong of Ilminster GCB CVO – Oral evidence (QQ 239–249) ................................... 4 Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP, Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, and Bernard Jenkin MP - Oral evidence (QQ 1–26)................................................................................................................................... 9 Dr Andrew Blick, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies, King’s College London; Professor Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History, QMUL; and Professor Colin Talbot, Professor of Government and Public Administration, Manchester Business School - Oral evidence (QQ 130–155) .................................................................................................................................................... 30 Dr Andrew Blick, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies, King’s College London – Written evidence ....................................................................................... 31 Rt Hon David Blunkett MP and Lord Fowler - Oral evidence (QQ 48–77) .............................. 38 Rt Hon Lord Butler of Brockwell KG GCB CVO, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service, 1988–98 – Oral evidence (QQ 296–310) ................................................................. 51 Rt Hon Charles Clarke and Rt Hon Lord Howard of Lympne CH QC - Oral evidence (QQ 27–47) ......................................................................................................................................................... 58 Rt Hon Francis Maude MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General – Oral evidence (QQ 338–358) ......................................................................................................................... 75 Cabinet Office – Written evidence ...................................................................................................... 85 Civil Service Commission – Written evidence.................................................................................. 89 Simon Cramp – written evidence ......................................................................................................... 92 Mark Davies, former special adviser to Jack Straw MP at the Ministry of Justice; and Paul Richards, former special adviser to Hazel Blears at the Department for Communities and Local Government - Oral evidence (QQ 78–104) ........................................................................... 95 Daniel Finkelstein, Christopher Hope and David Hencke – Oral evidence (QQ 156–183) 106 Professor Matthew Flinders, Professor of Parliamentary Government & Governance and Dr Felicity Matthews, Lecturer in Governance and Public Policy, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield – Written evidence ...................................................................................... 119 Lord Fowler and Rt Hon David Blunkett MP - Oral evidence (QQ 48–77) ............................ 122 Professor Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History, QMUL; Professor Colin Talbot, Professor of Government and Public Administration, Manchester Business School; and Dr Andrew Blick, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies, King’s College London - Oral evidence (QQ 130–155) .................................................................................................................................................................... 123 David Hencke, Daniel Finkelstein and Christopher Hope – Oral Evidence (QQ 156–211) 137 Sir Jeremy Heywood CB CVO, Cabinet Secretary, and Sir Bob Kerslake, Head of the Home Civil Service – Oral evidence (QQ 312–338) ................................................................................. 138 HMRC; Office of Fair Trading; and Valuation Office Agency - Oral evidence (QQ 184–211) .................................................................................................................................................................... 150 Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP and Bernard Jenkin MP - Oral evidence (QQ 1–26).............................................................................................................................. 161 Christopher Hope, Daniel Finkelstein and David Hencke – Oral Evidence (QQ 156–211) 162 Rt Hon Lord Howard of Lympne CH QC and Rt Hon Charles Clarke - Oral evidence (QQ 27–47) ....................................................................................................................................................... 163 Institute for Government, Reform, Unlock Democracy - Oral evidence (QQ 105–129) .... 164 Institute for Government – Written evidence ................................................................................ 177 Bernard Jenkin MP, Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP and Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP - Oral evidence (QQ 1–26).............................................................................................................................. 181 Sir Bob Kerslake, Head of the Home Civil Service, and Sir Jeremy Heywood CB CVO, Cabinet Secretary – Oral evidence (QQ 312–338) ....................................................................... 182 Dr Felicity Matthews, Lecturer in Governance and Public Policy and Professor Matthew Flinders, Professor of Parliamentary Government & Governance, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield – Written evidence ...................................................................................... 183 Dame Julie Mellor DBE, UK Parliamentary Ombudsman and Health Service Ombudsman for England – Written evidence ................................................................................................................ 184 Lord O'Donnell GCB – Oral evidence (QQ 277–295) ................................................................ 187 Office of Fair Trading; HMRC; and Valuation Office Agency - Oral evidence (QQ 184–211) .................................................................................................................................................................... 194 David Penman, General Secretary, First Division Association - Oral evidence (QQ 212–238) .................................................................................................................................................................... 195 Reform, Institute for Government and Unlock Democracy – Oral evidence (QQ105-129) .................................................................................................................................................................... 203 Paul Richards, former special adviser to Hazel Blears at the Department for Communities and Local Government; and Mark Davies, former special adviser to Jack Straw MP at the Ministry of Justice - Oral evidence (QQ 78–104) .......................................................................... 204 Professor Colin Talbot, Professor of Government and Public Administration, Manchester Business School; Dr Andrew Blick, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies, King’s College London; and Professor Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History, QMUL - Oral evidence (QQ 130–155) .................................................................................................................................................................... 205 Colin Talbot, Professor of Government and Public Administration, University of Manchester – Written evidence ................................................................................................................................ 206 Lord Turnbull KCB CVO – Oral evidence (QQ 264–276) ......................................................... 211 United Kingdom Supreme Court - Written evidence .................................................................. 217 2 Unlock Democracy, Institute for Government and Reform – Oral evidence (QQ105-129) .................................................................................................................................................................... 218 Unlock Democracy’s – Written evidence ........................................................................................ 219 Valuation Office Agency; HMRC; and Office of Fair Trading - Oral evidence (QQ 184–211) .................................................................................................................................................................... 228 Lord Wilson of Dinton GCB – Oral evidence (QQ 250–263) ................................................... 229 3 Lord Armstrong of Ilminster GCB CVO – Oral evidence (QQ 239–249) Lord Armstrong of Ilminster GCB CVO – Oral evidence (QQ 239– 249) Evidence Session No.6 Heard in Public. Questions 239 - 249 WEDNESDAY 11 JULY 2012 Members present Baroness Jay of Paddington (Chairman) Lord Crickhowell Baroness Falkner of Margravine Lord Hart of Chilton Lord Irvine of Lairg Lord Lexden Lord Powell of Bayswater Lord Shaw of Northstead Examination of Witness Lord Armstrong of Ilminster GCB CVO. Q239 The Chairman: We move swiftly to Lord Armstrong, who has kindly been listening to the conversation. Thank you so much for coming. Lord Armstrong of Ilminster: It is a pleasure to be here. The Chairman: The normal broadcasting rules apply