Civil Service

My hon. Friend has made an important point. In an act of generosity, the Government have significantly increased the money that goes to the Opposition as Short money. As I understand it, there is no accounting for that money and how it is spent. That issue is certainly worth considering. I turn now to the substance of the Bill and civil service impartiality. It is important, and I am interested in Members' views on this. During the sitting of the Public Administration Committee that I attended last week, the Cabinet Secretary said:"““the challenge for Parliament is to…keep it very focused and allow the civil service the flexibility to meet what will be the challenges””" of the future. We have drafted the Bill with such considerations in mind. The Bill establishes that Parliament, not the royal prerogative, provides the basis for the work of the civil service. That is an important change; currently, the civil service is governed by the use of that prerogative. The Bill guarantees recruitment to the civil service on merit through fair and open competition, with the independent civil service commission upholding the process through its recruitment principles. The Bill will also incorporate the rule, set out for the first time in June 2006 in the new civil service code, that the civil service commissioners can take a complaint or concern directly from a civil servant about an issue under the code. The Bill strengthens transparency: it requires a code of conduct for the civil service to be published and laid before both Houses of Parliament.