Public Administration Select Committee – Announcement

EVIDENCE SESSION: PASC TO QUESTION ACADEMICS AND JOURNALISTS ABOUT HEAD OF THE CIVIL SERVICE ROLE

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Committee Room 16

Witnesses:

9.45am      Professor the Lord Hennessy, Professor Colin Talbot and Professor Tony Dean

10.30am    Sue Cameron, Rt Hon Peter Riddell and David Walker

This will be the Committee’s third evidence session of its Inquiry into the role of the Head of the Civil Service and will take evidence from two panels of expert witnesses. The first panel is comprised of three academic witnesses: Professor the Lord Hennessy of Queen Mary University, Professor Colin Talbot of the University of Manchester, and Professor Tony Dean of the University of Toronto, a former Secretary of the Ontario Cabinet and Head of the Ontario Public Service. The second panel includes three journalists and Whitehall commentators: Sue Cameron, formerly of the Financial Times; Peter Riddell, formerly of The Times, and David Walker, Guardian Public Leaders Network.

The Committee will consider the Government’s proposal to split the role of Head of the Civil Service and Cabinet Secretary and examine the impact this change will have on Whitehall.

Particular issues to be explored may include:

• Whether the proposals represent a downgrading of the post of Head of the Civil Service;
• Whether the Head of the Civil Service role can be carried out on a part time basis; and
• what impact these proposals will have on reform programmes in Whitehall.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

 Committee Membership is as follows:

Mr Bernard Jenkin (Chair, Conservative, Harwich and North Essex), Nick de Bois (Conservative, Enfield North), Alun Cairns (Conservative, Vale of Glamorgan) Michael Dugher (Labour, Barnsley East), Charlie Elphicke (Conservative, Dover), Paul Flynn (Labour, Newport West), Robert Halfon (Conservative, Harlow), David Heyes (Labour, Ashton-under-Lyne), Kelvin Hopkins (Labour, Luton North), Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem, Leeds North West), and Lindsay Roy (Labour, Glenrothes)

Specific Committee Information:  pasc@parliament.uk 020 7219 5730

Media Information: Jessica Bridges-Palmer bridgespalmerj@parliament.uk 020 7219 2003

Committee Website: www.parliament.uk/pasc

Watch committees and parliamentary debates online:  www.parliamentlive.tv

Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474).  Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on www.parliament.uk