Description: An introduction to the UK Civil Service including its responsibilities, governance and the future.
politics (4190) governance (797) head (602) minister (496) independence (429) civil service (27) management group (4) steering group (2) her majesty's (1) permanent secretary (1)
Her Majesty’s Civil Service is responsible for the implementation of executive decisions of the Government and as such, it plays the key role in all segments of life including security. Civil servants support the Government in power but they are employees of the Crown and not the Parliament although the latter may call them on account. In order to keep their independence from the politics and the parties in power, civil servants are in a way protected from the latter through their responsibilities.
The Civil Service in the UK does not include all public sector employees such as the police officers, armed forces, members of the NHS, local government officials and the staff of the British Royal Family.
Minister for the Civil Service is on the top of the hierarchy of Her Majesty’s Civil Service and is responsible for regulation of the Civil Service in terms of implementation of the Government’s executive decisions. Minister for the Civil Service, however, is not civil servant. Since 1968, the position of the Minister is held by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom which means that the position of the Minister for Civil Service is political.