Committee hear from David Blunkett and Lord Fowler
20 June 2012
The House of Lords Constitution Committee will today take evidence from former Home Secretary David Blunkett MP and former Secretary of State for Social Services Lord Fowler as part of their inquiry into the accountability of civil servants
- Parliament TV: Accountability of civil servants
- Inquiry: Accountability of civil servants
- Constitution Committee
Witnesses
At 10.30am, Wednesday 20 June 2012, Committee Room 1, Palace of Westminster
- Rt Hon David Blunkett MP
- Rt Hon Lord Fowler
At 11.15am
- Mark Davies, former special adviser to Jack Straw MP, Ministry of Justice
- Paul Richards, former special adviser to Hazel Blears, Department of Communities and Local Government
The Committee is likely to ask Lord Fowler and Mr Blunkett for their views on whether Ministers should have any role in the hiring and disciplinary process for civil servants, whether individual ministerial responsibility is still an appropriate method of holding the government to account and whether there should be more direct accountability of civil servants to Parliament.
The Committee will also hear from Mark Davies, former special adviser to Jack Straw MP and Paul Richards, former special adviser to Hazel Blears MP and Patricia Hewitt. As part of the inquiry the Committee are also considering whether there are appropriate mechanisms of accountability in place to reflect the important role of special advisers in government.