11 April 2003
Senior civil servants have warned ministers they will be 'extremely concerned' if the government does not accept the main findings of a Parliamentary report slamming the use of spin doctors across Whitehall.
The FDA, which represents Whitehall's top civil servants, said Labour must act on the findings of the study by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, which was prompted by accusations that unaccountable spin doctors have too much influence over policy.
The committee, chaired by Sir Nigel Wicks, published its report, Defining the boundaries within the executive: ministers, special advisers and the permanent civil service, on April 8.
It recommended that each minister should take personal responsibility for the conduct of his or her advisers, including the prime minister – whose influential communications director, Alastair Campbell, has been the focus of criticism from civil servants, backbenchers and opposition MPs.
Commenting on the report, FDA general secretary Jonathan Baume said Wicks' report 'succinctly identifies the problems and offers robust solutions'.
'The FDA would be extremely concerned if the government does not accept the main body of recommendations forthwith.'
Wicks' inquiry began shortly after Jo Moore, special adviser to the then transport secretary Stephen Byers, suggested in a departmental e-mail that the events of September 11 meant it was a 'good day to bury bad news'. The growing use of government spin doctors also raised concerns that the independence and accountability of the civil service had been compromised since Labour came to power.
To overcome problems, the Wicks' committee also outlined its support for a Civil Service Act to define clearly the powers of advisers and a beefed-up role for the Civil Service Commission to ensure recruitment across Whitehall is more transparent.
Wicks said implementing the recommendations would 'reinforce the fundamental principles of transparency, impartiality and accountability' across Whitehall.
Conservative Party spokesman David Davis said curbs on the use of spin doctors were 'long overdue', while the government claimed many of the report's recommendations had 'already been put in place'.
PFapr2003
