HC Deb 26 March 1990 vol 170 c18
77. Mr. Skinner

To ask the Minister for the Civil Service when he next intends to meet Civil Service trade unions; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Luce

I meet the Civil Service unions from time to time to discuss a range of matters.

Mr. Skinner

Will the Minister confirm that high-ranking civil servants from Oxford and Cambridge have been called upon to change the poll tax regulations about 12 times since the system came into operation? Will he give a guarantee that civil servants will not be called upon to bend the rules in a partisan political fashion to bring about the charge capping of Labour authorities, while finding a method by which to leave out Tory authorities? Will he also guarantee that the complaints procedure will be adequate for people to make the appropriate appeals?

Mr. Luce

What with questions about the Archbishop of Canterbury and about the poll tax, the assumption seems to be that I am the Minister for everything. On this occasion, I can tell the hon. Gentleman that civil servants —as we said earlier—are accountable to Ministers, and Ministers are accountable to Parliament. That is our constitutional system, and I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman does not understand that.

Mr. Aitken

Is my right hon. Friend aware that he is being asked such a wide variety of questions because the Civil Service has claimed such omniscience for so many years? The famous title given to civil servants—GCMG —was always known as "God calls me God", which seems very appropriate for the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Mr. Luce

I do not know whether my hon. Friend was recommending me for that as well. Let me make it plain that I believe that we have an outstanding Civil Service, which has a great sense of duty. Civil servants owe that duty to the elected Government of the day, and they serve those Governments with great loyalty and impartiality.

Dr. Marek

What developments can we expect in the provision of workplace nurseries for civil servants?

Mr. Luce

As the hon. Gentleman knows, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has rightly responded to representations asking him to encourage the employment of more women in not only the Civil Service but all employment sectors. With many other people, I welcome that: in the next few years—especially in the 1990s—many more women will be needed in the Civil Service.