Elections: Guidance for Civil Servants

Lord Davies of Oldham
My right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the Cabinet Office is today issuing guidance to civil servants in UK departments on the principles which they should observe in relation to the conduct of government business before the forthcoming elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales, and to local authorities in England and Scotland.

The guidance sets out the principles on the need to maintain the political impartiality of the Civil Service, and the need to ensure that public resources are not used for party-political purposes, and sets out the sensitive periods when the guidance comes into force for each election.

Copies of the guidance will be placed in the Library for the reference of noble Lords. It will also be available on the Cabinet Office website at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/publications/pdf/2007electionguidance.pdf.