What mechanisms would Labour put in place to pursue Ian Smith’s relocation agenda?
A. It’s too early to say. Ian Smith’s review has just been published and we have accepted his recommendations. The work begins in earnest after the election to identify how to make this transition. Q. The growth of special advisers, consultants and interim staff in the civil service has provided access to important specialist skills – but on a short-term basis. Do you have a plan for developing those skills within the civil service? A. Based on feedback from civil servants, we believe that special advisers continue to be an important part of departmental life. In addition to bringing in often very high-level specialist expertise, [their use] has provided clearer boundaries between the governmental and political responsibilities of working with ministers within and across departments. Clearly, the development of specialist expertise within the civil service is also hugely important. To date this has been a particular emphasis within government professions – eg. the statistics or finance
