In written evidence to the House of Lords Constitution Committee, the Civil Service Commission said: “We do not see the case for changing [the current] position. Handing over the final choice to one individual, whether a minister or a civil servant, is unlikely to further the merit principle and may lead to favouritism.”
The civil service reform plan proposes a strengthened ministerial role in appointing permanent secretaries. At present, in open competitions ministers may veto the candidate selected by the civil service commissioners, but Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude wants ministers to be able to choose from a list of candidates – as currently occurs in internal competitions.
The Commission’s submission warns that this change would create the “perception – and sometimes the reality – of politicisation which could eventually undermine the ability of the civil service to serve successive administrations.”
Meanwhile, the Civil Service Commission has published its annual report, which names three barriers that it says constrain external recruitment at senior level: poorly defined roles; too little time for recruitment; and low remuneration.
First civil service commissioner Sir David Normington said there’s an “increasing danger” that pay is “limiting the fields of candidates for some jobs, where the salary on offer is simply not competitive. This can make it difficult to attract rising stars from outside the civil service”.
In recent weeks former FDA boss Jonathan Baume has been appointed to the Civil Service Commission. He will start work in the autumn.