§ Mr. Dewarasked the Prime Minister whether he will announce the Government's decision on the recommendation of the report of the Fulton Committee on the Civil Service, that an inquiry should be undertaken into the processes used for the selection of administrators entering the Civil Service under Method II, and into ways of speeding up the recruitment processes generally.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government have accepted this recommendation. I have decided that there should be two separate inquiries.
The first inquiry—into Method II—is being undertaken by a Committee comprising:
368WChairman
Mr J. G. W. Davies, formerly Secretary of the Cambridge University Appointments Board and now with the Bank of England.
Members
Mrs. Elizabeth Sidney, an independent consultant on personal selection.
Dr. Bryan Thwaites, Principal of Westfield College, London.
Dr. A. T. M. Wilson, Adviser at Unilever Ltd. in the use of the social sciences.
Mr. J. M. Moore, Principal Establishment Officer at the Ministry of Transport.
This Committee has already begun work and hopes to complete its work in a few months. Its report will be published.
The second inquiry—into ways of speeding up the recruitment processes of the Civil Service Commission—has also started, with the aim of completion in a few months. It is being undertaken by Cooper Brothers and Company, Management Consultants, working in close association with Treasury Organisation and Methods staff and the Civil Service Commission. Their terms of reference are very broad, the aim being to arrive at procedures which achieve the best balance between speed, thoroughness and fairness to candidates.
Both inquiries will present their reports to me.