Sir, Sir Peter Kemp (obituary, July 2) undoubtedly made an important contribution to public service efficiency by encouraging the widespread creation of agencies. On the other hand, they brought in their wake undesirable developments.

First, distinguishing between policy making and service delivery meant reverting to a philosophy that had been condemned as recently (in terms of Next Steps) as the 1960s and 1970s, when it was generally agreed that it was sensible neither to discourage input to policy from those who deliver the consequences of policy decisions nor to have a situation where those who formulate policy do so without practical experience of delivering the service. (Incidentally, it is not just senior civil servants who advise ministers — more junior officials have plenty of opportunities to do so as well.)

Secondly, MPs quickly found to their concern that the considerable degree of devolved authority to agencies meant that ministers diverted their parliamentary questions to the agencies though they were not directly accountable to Parliament, thus eroding the traditional parliamentary ability to call ministers to account.

Thirdly, the public, too, are not always bestserved by powerful public agencies that make questionable use of their considerable new freedom, for instance the DVLA’s provision of information to third parties.

As with most things in life, there were swings and roundabouts with the revolution Peter Kemp inspired.

John Webster
London SW1

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