Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review the Cabinet Office's Human Resources policies and procedures relating to the employment of special advisors.
A revised model contract for special advisers was published on 19 September. The changes made reflect improvements to align the policies that apply to special advisers including on parental leave rights, clarification of the provisions relating to severance payments, and an explanation of the disciplinary procedure which reflects the longstanding role of the Prime Minister in the appointment of all special advisers.
The last update to the Special Adviser’s Code of Conduct was in December 2016. This document is kept under regular review. In December of last year, the Minister for the Constitution announced work to review how special advisers’ terms can be made clearer and consistent (19 December 2018 Vol. 651, [HCWS1216]). This work is ongoing.