Civil Service Reform

Debate between Lord Maude of Horsham and David Ruffley

Tuesday 19th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

Special advisers do not take part in the recruitment and appointment of mainstream civil servants, but they do play an important part in the way in which Ministers achieve their priorities and deliver their programmes.

[Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds) (Con)]

I welcome the thrust of the reform, but will the Minister clarify one point? Does he support the idea that a Secretary of State should have the final say in the recruitment of a private sector individual to the post of permanent secretary, provided it is done on a fixed-term, performance-related basis?

[Mr Maude]

Yes, I do believe that. Obviously, that would need to follow a selection and recruitment process that had been regulated by the Civil Service Commission to ensure that the appointment had been made on merit following fair and open competition, as the law requires. Given that degree of regulation, however, and the assurance that that should give that the individual was an appointable candidate for not only the current Secretary of State but any future ones, there is no obvious reason why that should not happen.

Industrial Action

Debate between Lord Maude of Horsham and David Ruffley

Wednesday 30th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds) (Con)]

Three out of four of my constituents work in the private sector for middling incomes, and they tell me that they would have to put one third of their earnings into their pension to get the benefits that people on strike today enjoy on retirement. Does the Minister agree that the public sector pensions settlement is not only incredibly affordable but incredibly fair?

[Mr Maude]

I think it is fair to the general taxpayer, who has carried all the additional cost of public sector pensions over the past 10 years, and to public sector workers and staff, who are dedicated, hard working and perform essential work. We want pension schemes to be available, without their having to be revisited every few years, because this Government are determined to get this right for the long term.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Maude of Horsham and David Ruffley

Wednesday 24th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

A range of advice is available. The 12 pathfinder projects are supported by organisations that are able to provide support—for example, Co-operatives UK and the John Lewis Partnership, which have enormous experience in this area. The advice and support service that these organisations are putting together will be able directly to channel support and advice from organisations such as the Employee Ownership Association. That should help organisations to find the right advice for the particular circumstances of a particular group of workers.

[Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds) (Con)]

3. What steps he is taking to increase the participation of voluntary and charitable bodies in bidding processes for Government contracts.