§ Mr. Sheldonasked the Prime Minister what progress has been made in the implementation of the Fulton Report.
§ The Prime MinisterA report by a Joint Committee of the Civil Service National Whitley Council will be issued tomorrow. It has been prepared to provide a basis for discussion at the annual conferences, of the staff associations in the spring. I am arranging for copies to be available in the Vote Office tonight. The report records the decisions taken so far and gives an account of the work that is being done, and I think that it shows real and encouraging progress. As further decisions are taken, the House will be kept informed.
§ Mr. Sheldonasked the Prime Minister what action has been taken to implement recommendation 122 of the Fulton Report that, in putting forward names for top appointments to him, the head of the Civil Service should be assisted by a committee of variable composition drawn from a panel with a rotating membership consisting of permanent secretaries, scientists and other specialists, and one or two eminent people from outside the Civil Service.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government agree with this approach. Arrangements on the lines recommended have been put352W into operation for all administrative appointments at and above Deputy Secretary level; and these arrangements are being extended to cover all equivalent scientific and professional posts.
These arrangements do however depart from the Fulton recommendation in that persons from outside the Civil Service will not be members of the Committee. When it comes to the choice of individuals, knowledge of the candidates and of the job to be done is a basic requirement for those giving advice; and the actual decisions are taken by Ministers, not civil servants. But persons outside the Service will be consulted informally wherever appropriate.