Backbench debate and Debate on select committee report on Thursday, 3 April 2014, in the House of Commons, led by Bernard Jenkin. The answering member was Lord Maude of Horsham.

Civil Service Reform

Thirty-fifth backbench debate (part two). Motion that this House has considered the eighth report from the Public Administration Select Committee, on Truth to power: how Civil Service reform can succeed, HC 74, and the Government response, HC 955, and the first report from the Liaison Committee, on Civil Service: lacking capacity, HC 884, and the Government response, HC 1216. Motion lapsed.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 578 cc1082-1113
Session: 2013-14
Department: Public Administration Select Committee; Liaison Committee; Cabinet Office
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: Truth to power: how civil service reform can succeed. Public Administration Committee eighth report with written evidence and formal minutes.
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
Parliamentary committees
House of Commons; Civil Service: lacking capacity. Liaison Committee first report with formal minutes.
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Parliamentary committees
House of Commons; Truth to Power: How Civil Service reform can succeed: Government response to the eighth report from the Committee, session 2013-14. Public Administration Select Committee fifth special report.
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Parliamentary committees
House of Commons; Civil Service: lacking capacity: Government response to the Committee's first report of session 2013-14. Liaison Committee first special report.
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
Parliamentary committees
House of Commons
Proceeding contributions: Lindsay Hoyle | 578 c1083 (Link to this contribution)
I call Mr Bernard Jenkin to speak for between 10 and 15 minutes.
3.10 pm; Bernard Jenkin | 578 cc1083-4 (Link to this contribution)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the Eighth Report from the Public Administrat...; Caroline Spelman | 578 c1084 (Link to this contribution)
Over the last 17 years we have been in a unique position, as Ministers in all three main parties ...; Bernard Jenkin | 578 c1084 (Link to this contribution)
I wholly agree. I am extremely grateful for my right hon. Friend’s support for the proposal, and ...; Anne Begg | 578 c1084 (Link to this contribution)
Will the commission’s remit include the Scottish civil service, which after all is the responsibi...; Bernard Jenkin | 578 c1084 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful for the hon. Lady’s intervention, and I can in fact inform the House that the Publi...; Lord Maude of Horsham | 578 c1084 (Link to this contribution)
On a pure point of fact, since 1922 the civil service in Northern Ireland has been separate.; Bernard Jenkin | 578 cc1084-5 (Link to this contribution)
Touché, as they say. I am most grateful for that information. I am sure it would have been in the...; Lord Harper | 578 c1085 (Link to this contribution)
On the urgency of the task, I note that the date for this commission to report is my birthday, wh...; Bernard Jenkin | 578 cc1085-7 (Link to this contribution)
The alternative is that we put it off. Perhaps the commission could finish more quickly, but thes...; 578 c1086 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Lindsay Hoyle | 578 c1086 (Link to this contribution)
May I suggest to Members that they take up to 10 minutes only?
3.26 pm; Kelvin Hopkins | 578 cc1086-1090 (Link to this contribution)
It is a pleasure to follow the Chairman of the Select Committee, of which I, too, am a member. Ma...; Lord Beith | 578 cc1090-1 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex (Mr Jenkin) on bringing this matter fo...; Baroness Hodge of Barking | 578 cc1092-3 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex (Mr Jenkin) on securing this hugely im...; Kelvin Hopkins | 578 c1093 (Link to this contribution)
Managing contracts is the issue, because if less was contracted out and more was done in house, s...; Baroness Hodge of Barking | 578 c1094 (Link to this contribution)
I know where my hon. Friend is coming from, but we need the capability in government effectively ...; Jackie Doyle-Price | 578 c1094 (Link to this contribution)
Was the right hon. Lady as impressed as I was by Michael Spurr, the new head of the National Offe...; Baroness Hodge of Barking | 578 cc1094-5 (Link to this contribution)
I entirely agree, and that takes me very neatly to my next point. Promotion in the civil service ...; Lord Beith | 578 c1095 (Link to this contribution)
I agree with the point the right hon. Lady is making. It comes back to what I was saying about th...; Baroness Hodge of Barking | 578 c1095 (Link to this contribution)
I entirely agree with that comment.
Finally, I want to talk about the conventions on respon...; Bernard Jenkin | 578 c1095 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Lady might be surprised to know that when I addressed 200 civil servants at luncht...; Baroness Hodge of Barking | 578 c1096 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman has had a very telling experience, and I agree with him.
Right across to...; 578 c1096 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 578 c1096 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I appreciate that Mr Deputy Speaker advised the House that if everybody takes approximatel...; Lord Herbert of South Downs | 578 cc1096-8 (Link to this contribution)
In 2010, when I accepted an invitation to join the Government of Britain, to coin a phrase, I fou...; Kelvin Hopkins | 578 c1097 (Link to this contribution)
I am disappointed at the right hon. Gentleman’s criticism of the concept, but the fact is that th...; Lord Herbert of South Downs | 578 c1097 (Link to this contribution)
I find great difficulty in understanding how a cross-party Select Committee would find it impossi...; Bernard Jenkin | 578 c1097 (Link to this contribution)
Why does my right hon. Friend think that the think-tank he has set up would be any more objective...; Lord Herbert of South Downs | 578 cc1097-9 (Link to this contribution)
I agree with the right hon. Member for Barking that we should let a thousand flowers bloom. Many ...; Nick Raynsford | 578 cc1099-1101 (Link to this contribution)
May I at the outset draw attention to a non-pecuniary interest? I chair the Centre for Public Scr...; 578 c1101 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 578 c1101 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I have tried the polite and honourable approach, but it has not worked, so I have to impos...; Baroness Bray of Coln | 578 cc1101-2 (Link to this contribution)
The civil service is a critical national institution and part of the very fabric of politics. Sin...; John Healey | 578 cc1102-4 (Link to this contribution)
It is good to follow the hon. Member for Ealing Central and Acton (Angie Bray). I welcome this de...; Jackie Doyle-Price | 578 cc1104-5 (Link to this contribution)
We in this House can make whatever decisions we like, but unless the machinery of government is f...; Andrew Miller | 578 cc1105-6 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate the Public Administration Committee The hon. Member for Thurrock (Jackie Doyle-Pri...; Jonathan Ashworth | 578 cc1106-1110 (Link to this contribution)
This has been an extremely good debate, with exceptional speeches from all Members who have contr...; Lord Maude of Horsham | 578 cc1110-2 (Link to this contribution)
First, I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich and North Essex (Mr Jenkin) on securi...; Bernard Jenkin | 578 cc1112-3 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my right hon. Friend the Minister and everyone who has spoken in the debate. I agree that...; Lord Herbert of South Downs | 578 c1113 (Link to this contribution)
It is a weed.; Bernard Jenkin | 578 c1113 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend says it is a weed, but I think he demeans himself by being derogatory about so man...
Subjects: Accountability Civil servants Civil service Powers Procurement Staff Ministers Special advisers Political impartiality Reform Senior civil servants
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk

Civil Service Reform

Secondary information

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