Civil Service Conduct – Annabel Goldie letter to Sir Gus O’Donnell

Below is the text of the letter which Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative Leader, has sent to Sir Gus O'Donnell, the UK Cabinet Secretary.

The attachments referenced can be found further below.

Dear Sir Gus,

Re: The Civil Service Code for Scotland.

I attach material which I am informed reflects comments made by the Permanent Secretary in Scotland, Sir Peter Housden, in Civil Service briefings.

I also attach an excerpt from the Civil Service Code for Scotland.

I shall be obliged if you will confirm if the comments attributed to Sir Peter comply with the criteria of objectivity and impartiality referred to in the code.

Yours sincerely,

Annabel M Goldie MSP

Scottish Conservative Leader

i) Comments attributed to Sir Peter Housden

May 23

"And now we go to it. This will be a remarkable period in Scotland's history as we embark on a journey toward constitutional reform with the near-term strengthening of the Scotland Bill and a referendum in the second half of the parliament.

"James Mitchell's article in the Scotsman on May 20 is essential reading on all this.

"It's remarkable how the terms of this debate have changed irrevocably in just three weeks. Calman and the status quo now seem lost in the mists of time."

He recommends the civil servants go to see Dunsinane at the Lyceum because "to my mind it does genuinely speak to our present condition as a nation".

Sept 21

"The publication of the spending review 2011 is a significant milestone for us. My congratulations to Mr Swinney and the Cabinet for the vision, skill and energy that has gone into these proposals and to colleagues who contributed at every stage.

"This milestone set me thinking. As someone once said of a particular period of history, it was the best of times and the worst of times. That's us now isn't it?

"Together we have built the Scottish Government's reputation for competence, integrity and an innovative approach to public policy.

"We are embarking on a major programme of reform. The government has set out an ambitious and exciting programme embodied in the programme for government, the government economic strategy and now the spending review 2011.

"But at the same time the global economy is fragile. Our financial settlement from the Westminster Government has required difficult choices across the board and will lead to widespread reductions in positions across the public sector.

"Civil service wages are frozen and pension contributions will increase. So what as civil servants are we to do?

"There's a temptation to batten down the hatches and hope for better times but there is another course.

"To reinvent a well-known phrase, "our country needs us". We will need to be at our very best to support ministers and deliver for Scotland over the next period."

In his Sept 26 briefing he said he attended a devolution conference at the Institute of Government.

"It was interesting to gauge the degree of neutrality of some of the experts present - variable as you would imagine.

"But the change in emphasis and language down there since the election is palpable. These issues are being taken very seriously in Whitehall now."

ii) CIVIL SERVICE CODE

Presented to Parliament pursuant to section 5 (5) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010

Presented to the Scottish Parliament pursuant to section 5 (6) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010

Scottish Government Laying Number: SG/2010/247

Civil Service values

The statutory basis for the management of the Civil Service is set out in Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

The Civil Service is an integral and key part of the government of the United Kingdom . It supports the UK Government and Devolved Administrations of the day in developing and implementing their policies, and in delivering public services. As a civil servant, you are accountable to Scottish Ministers, who in turn are accountable to the Scottish Parliament.

3. As a civil servant, you are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. In this Code:

'integrity' is putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests;

'honesty' is being truthful and open;

'objectivity' is basing your advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence; and

'impartiality' is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well Governments of different political persuasions.

4. These core values support good government and ensure the achievement of the highest possible standards in all that the Civil Service does. This in turn helps the Civil Service to gain and retain the respect of Ministers, Parliament, the public and its customers.

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