Jenkins, who runs the Treasury Solicitor’s Department (TSol) and heads up the Government Legal Service, will leave as legal services across government come together under central management. Having driven through the creation of this cross-government shared service, CSW understands that Jenkins has decided to retire before the general election – requiring a 2014 move to give his successor a chance to consolidate the changes before May 2015.
TSol already runs legal services for the environment and communities departments, while the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office are currently moving into Jenkins’ control. By next summer, its 700-strong team is set to expand to 1700 with the addition of the energy and transport departments and the Ministry of Defence. The litigation and employment teams for the health and work and pensions departments have moved into TSol, and their main advisory teams will join in April 2014, along with HMRC’s employment team.
Among the main departments of state, only the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the bulk of HMRC’s lawyers will sit outside the shared service.
Jenkins will have been Treasury solicitor for eight years by March. He is also the permanent secretary diversity champion.
See also: CSW interviewed Paul Jenkins in 2011