Civil Service Efficiency (Hansard, 13 July 1982)

HL Deb 13 July 1982 vol 433 cc132-6 132

§ 2.59 p.m.

§ Lord Gridley
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Question was as follows:

§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what action has been taken to improve the efficiency of the Civil Service.

§ Baroness Young
A very great deal, my Lords. From 1979 to 1981 there have been 108 departmental scrutinies and three large service-wide reviews. Last year we published a White Paper, Efficiency in the Civil Service, in which we set out our policies for improving management and efficiency. We have since pressed ahead with new and substantial work, including our programmes of lasting reforms, of action to improve financial management, and of scrutinies and other reviews.
I am arranging, with the leave of the House, for a list of the scrutinies and service-wide reviews being conducted in departments as part of our central efficiency strategy for 1982 to be published in the Official Report.

§ Following is the list referred to:

1982 SCRUTINY PROGRAMME AND SERVICE WIDE REVIEWS
Department	Scrutiny	Review
Home Office	Administration of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme^*	Resource control review of the prison service^* Review of personnel work ^*

133

Department	Scrutiny	Review
Lord Chancellor's Department	Administrative procedures for means assessment of those applying for civil legal aid (jointly with the Department of Health and Social Security)	Review of personnel work^*
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (including Overseas Development Administration)	Use made of Diplomatic Service personnel overseas (postponed from 1981)^* Review of the Passport Office^*	Running Costs Review^*
	The work of the ODA's professional advisers (other than economists)^*
HM Treasury	Civil Service Catering Organisation^*	Resource Control review of Royal Mint^*
Inland Revenue	PAYE End of Year Procedures^* Visits made to the public by Inland Revenue staff District Memoranda and Instructions to tax and collection offices	Review of personnel work^*
Customs and Excise	Processing of Customs Import Entries	Review of personnel work^*
Department for National Savings	Improving the quality of the Post Office service paid for by the Department^*
Department of Industry	Methods used to assess the cost-effectiveness of Selective Financial Assistance
Department of the Environment	The Cartographic service
Property Services Agency		Resource Control review of District Works Offices^* Review of personnel work
Department of Education and Science		Running Costs Review^*
Department of Health and Social Security	Payments of social security benefits to people in hospital	Review of personnel work^*
Management and Personnel Office		Running Costs Review—Departmental review and central team^* Resource control review—Central team^* Review of personnel work—Central team^*

134

Department	Scrutiny	Review
Government Actuary's Department	Actuarial services needed by Ministers^*
Paymaster General's Office	Declarations of Entitlement for public sector pensions (postponed from 1981)^*
Department of Energy	Energy conservation effort^*	Running Costs Review^*
Department of Employment		Running Costs Review^* Review of personnel work
Northern Ireland Departments	Acquisition, management and disposal of land by the NI Departments
MAFF	Generation and use of written documents*	Review of personnel work^*
Ministry of Defence	Service and civilian pension administration^* Service pay and records	Resource control reviews of:(1) RAF Support^* (2) Meteorological Office^*
Scottish Office		Resource control review of Prisons^* Review of personnel work
Welsh Office	Administrative and grant procedures under the Land Drainage Act 1976^*
Department of Trade	Practice relating to the supervision of insurance companies	Resource control review of Coastguard Service^* Running Costs Review^*
Department of Transport	Administration and enforcement of the Goods Vehicle Licensing System
Manpower Services Commission		Review of personnel work
Health and Safety Executive	Arrangements for the supply and use of information on industrial accidents and diseases^*	Review of personnel work
^*Already under way.

§ Lord Gridley
My Lords, I am most grateful to my noble friend the Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House for that interesting and informative Answer. May I ask my noble friend whether she will be prepared to give further information to your Lordships on the benefits which it is hoped will accrue from this efficiency operation?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, potential savings of around £300 million a year and £37 million once-and- 135 for-all savings have been identified. Savings from decisions taken so far are around £150 million a year, and as much again is still for decisions. We believe that the scrutinies and reviews have resulted in greater value for money, more streamlining, better management and, above all, a better service to the public. I should like to place on record that all this work has been done by civil servants themselves.

§ Lord Derwent
My Lords, is my noble leader satisfied that all those who examine and select candidates, particularly for the senior grades of the Civil Service, are sufficiently qualified and lacking in prejudice to select the best candidates? If she is so satisfied, is she aware that my information is quite to the contrary?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, if my noble friend in his question is referring to what we are doing on succession planning, I should like to say that the new arrangements that have been made should ensure that those who are going to the top of the Civil Service get experience of managing both people and money, and I believe that within the Civil Service we are fortunate in having very many very able people indeed.

§ Lord Derwent
My Lords, I am very sorry that my noble leader has misunderstood me; it is entirely my fault. I was referring to those candidates who are not yet in the Civil Service.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, if my noble friend is referring to applicants for administrative trainees, this year, I think I am right in saying, we are taking in about 45 administrative trainees and indeed we may not be able to fill all the posts.

§ Lord Elwyn-Jones
My Lords, is the Lord Privy Seal able to give any indication at this point of time when the Government's response to the Megaw Report on the Civil Service is going to be discussed or the Government's reactions to it are going to be indicated?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, as the noble and learned Lord will appreciate, the Government are still considering their response to this important report. It is another question, but I hope that at an appropriate moment the noble and learned Lord will put down a Question on that subject.

Lord Bruce of Donington
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that the recruitment of accountants into the Civil Service is proceeding far more slowly than the Government themselves envisage? Will she assure herself that there is no undue resistance on behalf of some of the administrative grades to the introduction of rather more accountants into the Civil Service, which process at the moment, as the noble Baroness is aware, is being conducted by Mr. Kenneth Sharp?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I should like to assure the noble Lord that it is the intention of the Government that the number of accountants in the Civil Service will be doubled over the next 10 years. We are 136 introducing new training facilities to give much greater training in financial management to all those seeking top posts in the Civil Service. These are important matters which will underpin our drive for greater financial efficiency throughout the Civil Service.