The Central Policy Review Staff,1970–1983

Abstract

This article reviews the creation, structure and output of the Central Policy Review Staff (CPRS) and compares the intentions of its founders with the practical achievements of its members. While the Staff produced reports of a high standard, ministerial interest was disappointingly half-hearted, which forced the Staff to rely on Prime Ministerial support more than it would have liked; in contrast, relations with the civil service in time proved more productive than anticipated. The article also examines the many changes in the Staff's activities made necessary by the changing requirements of successive governments—particularly since 1979—and finally suggests a form that a revived central analytical capability might take and the lessons that it should learn from the CPRS.