In a break from what has traditionally been known as ‘Autumn Sunningdale’, permanent secretaries from across the government’s departments and agencies travelled to Cardiff for their annual away day last week.
The Civil Service Diversity Awards 2008 were held in Birmingham. The awards celebrate and reward achievements in the field of diversity. Sir Gus O’Donnell handed out the awards to the winners. At the event he spoke about the importance of the Civil Service Code.
Video of the Civil Service Steering Board meeting.
Helping savers, small businesses and homeowners in the regions through the worldwide economic problems was top of the agenda at the first meeting of the Council of Regional Ministers today.
Despite the current economic issues dominating his week, Gus managed to get out and meet senior women from the Civil Service, wider public and private sectors.
Gus O’Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and head of the Home Civil Service, visited Afghanistan with Bill Jeffrey (Permanent Under Secretary MoD), Peter Ricketts (Permanent Secretary FCO) and Minouche Shafik (Permanent Secretary DfID).
There will be no mandatory retirement age for non–SCS Civil Servants by 2010. Sir Gus O’Donnell announced the changes on the 1st October, National Older People’s Day.
