Wales' public service needs a revolution

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 2nd Oct 2006

Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Leader Mike German today called for a revolution in the public service in Wales including slashing the ties with the UK civil service.

Mr German was speaking ahead of the Welsh Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference on October 14-15 where party members will debate a motion which seeks to create a separate 'Cadre Cymreig'.

"Wales may be a small country," said Mr German. "But we should aspire to be an example of excellence.

"Wales has largely inherited a public service delivery system from Whitehall and this structure is ill-suited to the distinctive context and policy agenda in Wales. We in Wales are increasingly forging our own agenda in public service delivery, and that process will only accelerate once the Assembly has law-making powers.

"We need to offer the next generation of public servants a career path which offers them wide experience for development within Wales. A career which retains parity of esteem with the UK civil service, but gives us more 'hwyl'. We need a Cadre Cymreig.

"A Cadre Cymreig - would be a single organisation which brings together Assembly and local government staff, health administrators and other public servants in a single, coherent structure.

"And I want to ensure the cadre attracts the "brightest and best" talent too. We can do that by holding an annual competition for graduates, put them on a fast-track scheme which gives them a range of experience across different sectors, and prepares them to be the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.

"The Beecham report makes it clear that to achieve excellence, staff will have to work across fuzzy boundaries with pooled budgets across different organisations. By having a single staffing structure, with flexibility to move around the public sector, we will create a staff who understand the needs of other organisations, and who can operate successfully in the new ways of working."