Research and analysis

Public standards in England: 25 years since the creation of CSPL

The Committee commissioned a report on the standards landscape to mark its 25th anniversary.

Documents

Standards Landscape: A mapping exercise

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Standards mapping summary

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Details

The independent Committee on Standards in Public life was established 25 years ago. Its remit has evolved but its role has broadly remained the same – to advise the Prime Minister, national and local government and the public on trends, issues and concerns about standards in public life.

Evidence-based recommendations and reports by the Committee over the years have led to the establishment of many of the standards bodies that exist today.

The Committee doesn’t investigate individual cases but acts as the guardians of the Seven Principles of Public Life – the Nolan Principles. Everyone in public office at all levels – Ministers, civil servants, NHS staff, the police, council officers – all who serve the public or deliver public services should uphold the principles of accountability, honesty, integrity, objectivity, selflessness, openness and leadership.

To mark our 25th anniversary, the Committee commissioned a piece of work on the standards landscape.

The report provides an overview of the standards landscape effective in the central and local government and administration of the United Kingdom (UK). It provides a snapshot of the standards regime 25 years after the establishment of the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1994 and offers a vantage point from which to view its changing shape and form.

Published 24 February 2020