§ The Earl of Lauderdaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
When the White Paper on training and development will be published.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Earl Howe)The Government have presented to Parliament today its White Paper,Development and Training for Civil Servants: a Framework for Action. Also, copies of tables detailing progress in the Civil Service towards gaining Investors in People status have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
The Government place great importance on increasing the skills of the UK workforce in order to meet the challenges set out in the recent Competitiveness White Paper (Cm 3300). The Civil Service has a vital role to play in delivering national competitiveness. This White Paper published today sets out a framework for achieving this necessary step change in training and development in the Civil Service.
91WAThe White Paper has three key themes:
a strengthened commitment to the achievement of the Investors in People Standard across the Civil Service;
a drive to raise the levels of skills and awareness of civil servants; and
an emphasis on civil servants taking responsibility for their own development and careers in a supportive partnership between top managers, line managers and the individual.
In addition to key targets being centrally monitored for initiatives in the Senior Civil Service and its feeder grades, departments and agencies will be required to draw up action plans with their own stretching targets in the specific areas listed in the White Paper. There will be an annual progress report to Ministers on the collective performance of the Civil Service, which will be published.
The proposals in the White Paper will strengthen the Civil Service and will give greater opportunities to individual civil servants. This White Paper is an important step in ensuring that the Civil Service is fully equipped to face the challenges of the future.