Civil Service Management Code regarding whistleblowing: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/18/01168
Date received: 18 April 2018
Date responded: 23 April 2018

Information requested

In summary you asked if whistleblowing civil servants in Scotland are treated differently from their Ulster counterparts, or if evidence is treated differently by the Scottish Government, I think it's only fair that the Scottish Government be at least given the opportunity to make this clear.

Response

The Civil Service Management Code https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-servants-terms-and-conditions is issued under the authority of Part 1 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 under which the Minister for the Civil Service has the power to make regulations and give instructions for the management of the Civil Service, including the power to prescribe the conditions of service of civil servants including making complaints.

This Code, on which the recognised trade unions have been consulted, sets out regulations and instructions to departments and agencies regarding the terms and conditions of service of civil servants and the delegations which have been made by the Minister for the Civil Service under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992 to Ministers and office holders in charge of departments, the First Minister in the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government.

The Northern Ireland Civil Service handbook https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/articles/northern-ireland-civil-service-handbook is issued under the authority of the Civil Service (Northern Ireland) Order 1999, by which the Department of Finance and Personnel is responsible for the general management and control of the Northern Ireland Civil Service . this includes their whistleblowing policyhttps://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/publications/dof-whistleblowing-policy. The Scottish Government's (SG) Raising a Concern under the Civil Service Code and Whistleblowing Policy describes the process for anyone (including contractors ) carrying out work on behalf of the Scottish Government on how to raise a concern within the SG, including a concern which they believe goes against the core values in the Civil Service code, i.e. integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality and/or a concern relating to a breach of the conduct policies, criminal or unlawful activity by others or any security risks or breaches.

Please see attached a copy of the policy and procedures.

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Raising_a_concern_under_the_Civil_Service_Code_and_whistleblowing_policy.pdf

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19 page PDF

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