At the end of what is a pretty tame report from Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell on Liam Fox's behaviour, thease were his recommendations...
a. Where discussions take place with external organisations which raise substantive issues relating to departmental decisions or contracts and where an official is not present Ministers should inform their department.
b. On Ministerial visits, whether in the UK or abroad, departments should make sure there is no confusion about who is and is not a member of the Ministerial party.
c. Officials should accompany Ministers to all official visits and meetings overseas at which it is expected that official matters may be raised, and should seek guidance from the FCO if there is any uncertainty about the status of such meetings or the attendance of non-officials at them.
d. Permanent Secretaries should discuss with Ministers at the time of their appointment and regularly thereafter whether any acquaintances or advisers have contractual relationships with the department or are involved in policy development. The Minister and the Permanent Secretary should take action as necessary to ensure there can be no actual or perceived conflict of interest in line with the principles of the Ministerial Code.
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e. Permanent Secretaries should take responsibility for ensuring departmental procedures are followed, and for raising any concerns with Ministers, advising the Cabinet Secretary and ultimately the Prime Minister where such concerns are not resolved.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
GoD's plan to avoid another Fox affair
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4 comments:
So that proves it. Ministers appear to be accountable to civil servants and not civil servants to Ministers. If Ministers are to report and discuss anything with anybody about their conduct it should be to parliament and to the people. No wonder Ministers find it hard to get anything done if civil servants believe Ministers are subservient to them.
Their essential obligations are the insurance of life and property, safeguarding of the harmony, and avoidance and discovery of criminal offences. In the English model of policing, officials practice their powers to police with the implied assent of people in general. "Policing by assent" is the expression used to portray this. It communicates that the authenticity of policing according to general society depends on an overall agreement of help that follows from straightforwardness about their powers. If you want educational site visit my online reviews
As a result, it is supported. Civil servants appear to report to ministers rather than ministers to civil servants. Ministers should report to parliament and the general public if they want to discuss their behavior with anyone. If civil servants believe ministers are submissive to them, it is understandable why ministers struggle to anything. This assignment in land law is a great opportunity for us to learn about the ways to better protect ourselves from another Fox Affair. It is important to remember the lessons of the past and work to ensure that our land laws are enforced and that we are aware of potential risks.
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