The Early Impact of Devolution on Civil Service Accountability in Scotland

Abstract

A brief exploration of the thematic links between ‘modernisation’, devolution and official accountability shows that, while ‘modernisation’ per se, in its ‘micro’ forms has had a mixed impact on civil service accountability, there was a general expectation that devolution, as a feature of the Blair Government’. modernisation programme at the ‘macro’, constitutional level, would enhance both political and official accountability. However, the documents which framed the Scottish devolution settlement had virtually nothing to say about the types and forms of accountability which would be introduced within the new order. It soon became clear that the post devolution arrangements would see a rather traditional range of parliamentary mechanisms and devices deployed within extant constitutional rules. It seemed likely that these would produce an increase in the volume and quantity of civil service accountability, at least in its most basic form. A comparison between the pre-devolution, Westminster regime of accountability for Scottish Office civil servants, and the immediate post-devolution, Holyrood regime of accountability confirms that there has been a significant increase in the volume of scrutiny of the civil service emanating from the key parliamentary mechanisms and devices since 1999. Of particular note has been the role of the new parliamentary committees in bringing civil servants to account. However, it remains to be seen whether this increased quantity and volume of accountability can, in time, be translated into enhanced quality of official accountability.