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MOO/ Al P (-) 37-: Annex A The Civil Service Code

This document outlines the Civil Service Code, which establishes standards of conduct for civil servants in the United Kingdom. It states that civil servants must serve with integrity, honesty, and impartiality to assist the government regardless of its political views. Civil servants owe their loyalty to the government administration they serve. The code also establishes that civil servants must give honest, impartial advice to ministers and not deceive the public. It outlines other duties including proper use of public funds, maintaining confidentiality, and addressing situations where a civil servant believes they are being required to act illegally or unethically.

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26 views4 pages

MOO/ Al P (-) 37-: Annex A The Civil Service Code

This document outlines the Civil Service Code, which establishes standards of conduct for civil servants in the United Kingdom. It states that civil servants must serve with integrity, honesty, and impartiality to assist the government regardless of its political views. Civil servants owe their loyalty to the government administration they serve. The code also establishes that civil servants must give honest, impartial advice to ministers and not deceive the public. It outlines other duties including proper use of public funds, maintaining confidentiality, and addressing situations where a civil servant believes they are being required to act illegally or unethically.

Uploaded by

Bren-R
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Annex A

Civil Service Code

Amdt 4

Annex A The Civil Service Code


1 The constitutional and practical role of the Civil Service is, with integrity,
honesty, impartiality and objectivity, to assist the duly constituted
Government of the United Kingdom, the Scottish Executive or the National
Assembly for Wales' constituted in accordance with the Scotland and
Government of Wales Acts 1998, whatever their political complexion in
formulating their policies, carrying out decisions and in administering public
services for which they are responsible .

2 Civil servants are servants of the Crown . Constitutionally, all the


Administrations form part of the Crown and, subject to the provisions of this
Code, civil servants owe their loyalty to the Administrations' in which they
serve.

3 This Code should be seen m the context of the duties and responsibilities set
out for UK Ministers in the Ministerial Code, or in equivalent documents
drawn up for Ministers of the Scottish Executive or for the National Assembly
for Wales, which include .

" accountability for Parliament2 or, for Assembly Secretaries, to the


National Assembly;

the duty to give Parliament or the Assembly and the public as full
information as possible about their policies, decisions and actions, and
not to deceive or knowingly mislead them;

" the duty not to use public resources for party political purposes, to uphold
the political Impartiality of the Civil Service, and not to ask civil servants
to act in any way which would conflict with the Civil Service Code;

the duty to give fair consideration and due weight to informed and
impartial advice from civil servants, as well as to other considerations and
advice, in reaching decisions; and

the duty to comply with the law, including international law and treaty
obligations, and to uphold the administration of justice ;

together with the duty to familiarise themselves with the contents of this
Code.

4 Civil servants should serve their Administration in accordance with the


principles set out in this Code and recognising :

" the accountability of civil servants to the Ministers or, as the case may.be,
to the Assembly Secretaries and the National Assembly as a body or td
the officer holder in charge of their department;

!n the rest of this Code, we use the term Administration to mean Her Majesty's Govemrrient of the United
Kingdom, the Scottish Executive or the National Assembly for Wales as appropriate

fn the rest of this Code, the term Parliament should be read, as apprOPriats, to include the Parliament of
the United Kingdom and the Scottish Partiament.

7n the rest of this Code, Ministers encompasses members of Her Majesty's Government or of the Scoffish
Executive

Volume 7 Conduct

MOO/ al p(-)37-
Annex A
Civil Service Code

Amdt 4

" the duty of all public officers to discharge public functions reasonably and
according to the law ;

" the duty to comply with the law, including international law and treaty
obligations, and to uphold the administration of justice; and

" ethical standards governing particular professions .

5 Civil servants should conduct themselves with integrity, impartiality and


honesty . They should give honest and impartial advice to the Minister or, as
the case may be, to the Assembly Secretaries and the National Assembly as
a body or to the office holder in charge of their department, without fear or
favour, and make all information relevant to a decision available to them .
They should not deceive or knowingly mislead Ministers, Parliament, the
National Assembly or the public .

6 Civil servants should endeavour to deal with the affairs of the public
sympathetically, efficiently, promptly and without bias or maladmlnlstratlon .

7 Civil servants should endeavour to ensure the proper, effective and efficient
use of public money.

8 Civil servants should not misuse their official position or information acquired
in the course of their official duties to further their private interests or those of
others . They should not receive benefits of any kind from a third party which
might reasonably be seen to compromise their personal judgement or
integrity .

9 Civil servants should conduct themselves in such a way as to deserve and


retain the confidence of Ministers or Assembly Secretaries and the National
Assembly as a body, and to be able to establish the same relationship with
those whom they may be required to serve in some future Administration .
They should comply with restrictions on their political activities. The conduct
of civil servants should be such that Ministers, Assembly Secretaries and the
National Assembly as a body, and potential future holders of these positions
can be sure that confidence can be freely given, and that the Civil Service will
conscientiously fulfil its duties and obligations to, and impartially assist,
advice and carry out the lawful policies of the duly constituted
Administrations .

10 Civil servants should not without authority disclose official information which
has been communicated in confidence within the Administration, or received
in confidence from others . Nothing in the Code should be taken as overriding
existing statutory or common law obligations to keep confidential, or to
disclose, certain information They should not seek to frustrate or influence
the policies, decisions or actions of Ministers, Assembly Secretaries or the
National Assembly as a body by the unauthorised, improper or premature
disclosure outside the Administration of any information to which they have
had access as civil servants

11 Where a Civil servant believes he or she is being required to act in a way


which:

" is illegal, improper, or unethical ;

" Is in breach of constitutional convention or a professional code;

Volume 7 Conduct

M o0 1 a) 1313 318
Annex A
Civil Service Code

Amdt 4

" may involve possible maladminstration ; or

" is otherwise inconsistent with this Code; `

he or she should report the matter in accordance with procedures laid down
in the appropriate guidance or rules of conduct for their department or
Administration A civil servant should also report to the appropriate
authorities evidence of criminal or unlawful activity by others and may also
report m accordance with the relevant procedures if he or she becomes
aware of other breaches of this Code or is required to act in a way which, for
him or her, raises a fundamental issue of conscience .

12 Where a civil servant has reported a matter covered in paragraph 11 in


accordance with the relevant procedures and believes that the response
does not represent a reasonable response to the grounds of his or her
concern, he or she may report the matter in writing to the Civil Service
Commissioners, 35 Great Smith Street, London, SW 1 P 3BQ . Telephone :
(020) 7276 2613

13 Civil servants should not seek to frustrate the policies, decisions or actions of
the Administrations by declining to take, or abstaining from, action which
flows from decisions by Ministers, Assembly Secretaries or the National
Assembly as a body Where a matter cannot be resolved by the procedures
set out in paragraphs 11 and 12 above, on a basis which the civil servant
concerned is able to accept, he or she should either carry out his or her
instructions, or resign from the Civil Service . Civil servants should continue
to observe their duties of confidentiality after they have left Crown
employment .
Annex A
Civil Service Code

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