Civil servants are to be exposed to the impact of their department’s policies and the rules they devise when they attend MP’s surgeries. This is one of the ways in which the Office for Public Service is seeking to change civil service culture by broadening the experience of staff. Dr David Clark, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “By visiting MPs’ surgeries I am convinced that civil servants would gain at first hand from hearing about the issues which concern people, as well as getting a better idea of the role that MPs provide. This type of experience would benefit all those involved, enhancing understanding, and over time, delivering higher quality and better focused outcomes.”In a speech to civil service human resources leaders, Dr Clark hit out at the ‘forms and queues’ attitudes pervading much of the Civil Service. He said: “I think for too long people have associated government with two things: queues and forms. And there is a feeling among the public that government has been remote, unaccountable and too inflexible to meet their needs.”

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