Michael Fabricant – 2022 Parliamentary Question on Recruiting Civil Servants from the Private Sector

The parliamentary question asked by Michael Fabricant, the Conservative MP for Lichfield, in the House of Commons on 8 December 2022.

Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)

Whether he is taking steps to increase the number of senior civil servants recruited from the private sector.

The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Jeremy Quin)

We have strengthened the policy of advertising senior civil service jobs externally by default. To increase private sector recruitment and attract a broader range of applicants, new guidance will support Departments working with external search providers to identify new and experienced talent to join our excellent colleagues delivering for the country.

Michael Fabricant

But it is not just about senior civil servants. I think middle-ranking and junior civil servants could also benefit from a fresh influx of the dynamism and different attitudes that people from the private sector may enjoy, so why is my right hon. Friend not chasing those people for middle-ranking civil service positions too?

Jeremy Quin

My hon. Friend is always the very embodiment of dynamism. I absolutely agree: there is a huge amount of talent that we seek, and I am delighted to say that our focus is not just on the senior civil service. We wish to go and get the very best all the way through. Our apprenticeship schemes have been launched for the next three years, and we want to have 5% of the entire civil service formed of apprentices. That is yet another example of how we are reaching out to all starters to make certain that we get the very best talent.