Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that the impartiality rules operate in the same manner in each branch of the civil service across the UK.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all civil servants to uphold the Civil Service’s core values, which are integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. Impartiality, and in particular political impartiality, is one of the fundamental values of the Civil Service. Impartiality means all civil servants must serve the Government, whatever its political persuasion, to the best of their ability.

Civil servants working for the Scottish and Welsh Governments, and their agencies, have their own versions of the code. Similar codes apply to the Northern Ireland civil service and the Diplomatic Service.