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Scottish independence: Inquiry into civil service role Scottish independence: Inquiry into civil service role
(about 17 hours later)
A committee of MPs has announced an inquiry into the impartiality of civil servants in Scotland. A committee of MPs has announced an inquiry into the impartiality of civil servants in Scotland, ahead of the independence referendum.
The Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) said it would look at the "challenges" facing civil servants during the referendum campaign. Westminster's Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) said it would look at the "challenges" they face in the run up to the 18 September vote.
Voters in Scotland decide on their country's future when they go to the polls on Thursday, 18 September. The independence campaign has already seen concerns raised about the neutrality of senior civil servants.
They will be asked the straight "yes/no" question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" The committee has asked for submissions by 4 April.
The committee said it would look at five key issues. It said it will: It will look at five key issues:
• consider the dual obligations of civil servants in the Scottish government to their ministers and to the UK Civil Service as a whole; The inquiry came after the UK government's unusual decision to publish advice from the Treasury's top civil servant caused a row between the Holyrood and Westminster administrations.
• explore what "impartiality and objectivity" mean in practice for civil servants working on the referendum on independence; Sir Nicholas MacPherson said a currency union with an independent Scotland would be "fraught with difficulty", which prompted Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney to say the mandarin had "crossed the line" of civil service neutrality.
• examine how the Civil Service Code will be enforced, and complaints of alleged breaches of the code examined; The Treasury said Sir Nicholas's advice was "completely impartial".
• scrutinise the leadership of the Civil Service in relation to the referendum on independence; and The issue of civil service impartiality has previously been raised in the Scottish Parliament when Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats complained to the head of the UK civil service about Sir Peter Housden, the permanent secretary to the Scottish government in 2011,
• consider what lessons the Civil Service can take from the referendum on independence when planning for any future referendums. Sir Peter was accused by the former Liberal Democrat leader, Tavish Scott, of "rapidly becoming the chief cheerleader" for independence.
The PASC has asked for submissions to be made to it by 4 April. The then head of the UK Civil Service, Sir Gus O'Donnell, said it was "right and proper" that civil servants should act to support their elected ministers, in this case the devolved Scottish government.