HC Deb 24 January 2000 vol 343 cc71-2W
Mr. Miller

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what delegations have been made in 1999 under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992; to whom those delegations were made; and what were the main conditions attached to them. [166534]

Mr. Stringer

Since the last report to Parliament, 14 January 1999,Official Report, columns 253–54W, new delegations have replaced previous ones to reflect the creation of the devolved administrations and machinery of government changes. Ministers and office holders in charge of departments1 have been given delegated authority (from 1 July 1999) under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992:

  1. (a) to prescribe the qualifications (so far as they relate to age, knowledge, ability, professional attainment, aptitude, potential, health and coping with the demands of the job) for the appointment of home civil servants (with the exception of the Fast Stream Development Programme) in their respective departments; and
  2. (b) to determine in respect of home civil servants in their respective departments the number and grading of posts outside the Senior Civil Service and the terms and conditions of employment in so far as they relate to the following:
    1. i. classification of staff, with the exception of the Senior Civil Service;
    2. ii. remuneration, with the exception of the Senior Civil Service;
    3. iii. allowances;
    4. iv. expenses;
    5. v. holidays, hours of work and attendance;
    6. vi. part-time and other working arrangements;
    7. vii. performance and promotion;
    8. viii. retirement age and redundancy;
    9. ix. re-deployment of staff within the Home Civil Service.

In some cases, for staff appointed by statutory office holders, the Minister for the Civil Service was statutorily required to give consent to terms and conditions of service. For such staff, delegation has been effected by waiving that requirement, subject to the condition attached to delegation.

The delegation was subject to the condition that recipients comply with the provisions of the Civil Service Management Code as amended from time to time. Copies of the Civil Service Management Code are available in the Library of the House. All previous delegations and authorisations made under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992 were revoked with effect from 1 July 1999.

Similar delegations were also made to the National Assembly for Wales and the First Minister of the Scottish Executive. These came into effect on 7 May and 1 July 1999 respectively and were also subject to the condition that they comply with the provisions of the Civil Service Management Code as amended from time to time.

1 The statutory office holders are:

  • Commissioners of Inland Revenue
    • 72W
  • Head of the Registry of Friendly Societies, being the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies and the First Commissioner of the Building Societies Commission
  • Chief Charity Commissioner
  • Commissioners of Customs and Excise
  • Crown Estate Commissioners
  • Director General of Electricity Supply
  • Director General of Fair Trading
  • Director General of Gas Supply
  • Director of National Savings
  • Director of Passenger Rail Franchising
  • Director General of Telecommunications
  • Director General of Water Services
  • Director of Public Prosecutions
  • Director of the Serious Fraud Office
  • Government Actuary
  • Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England
  • Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales
  • International Rail Regulator
  • Public Works Loan Commissioners
  • Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Health Service Commissioners
  • Rail Regulator