Civil Service Appointments Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Civil Service Appointments

Jacob Young Excerpts
Tuesday 30th June 2020

(4 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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The right hon. Lady makes an important point, and of course those reviews are carried out by those who can be fully objective, in the round, in a way that is free of any taint of political interference.

Jacob Young Portrait Jacob Young (Redcar) (Con)
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In a speech at the weekend, my right hon. Friend set out a wider strategy for civil service reform and referenced President F. D. R. He said:

“FDR asked his government to remember the forgotten man. In the 2016 referendum those who had been too often forgotten asked to be remembered”.

With that in mind, what steps is he taking to ensure that my constituents in Redcar and Cleveland will never be forgotten and that they have a civil service that truly works for them?

Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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My hon. Friend makes an important point. We have a superb civil service, but it is also important that we make sure it serves the people of this country even better. The Prime Minister in his speech in Dudley today announced that part of the doubling down on levelling up was making sure that more important policy-making roles in our civil service were carried out closer to people, including on Teesside.