Wheatley Review

Wheatley Review

The Wheatley Review was an independent panel report published in 2018 addressing governance and structure of public service delivery across the United Kingdom. It examined institutional frameworks involving the Scottish Government, UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Local Government Association, Ministry of Defence, National Health Service, and Crown Office, offering recommendations for reform to the Cabinet Office, Department for Business, Environment Agency, and devolved administrations. The review engaged stakeholders including the Royal Society, National Audit Office, Institute for Government, Audit Scotland, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Background and context

The review was launched amid debates following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, the 2016 European Union referendum, the 2017 general election, and the Grenfell Tower inquiry that prompted questions about accountability within the Scottish Government, UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Executive, Welsh Government, Local Government Association, and Greater London Authority. Commissioners referenced precedents such as the Fulton Report, Beveridge Report, Nolan Committee, Steel Commission, Lyons Review, and Calman Commission while considering evidence from Audit Scotland, National Audit Office, Public Accounts Committee, Public Administration Select Committee, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, and Equality and Human Rights Commission. Submissions came from organisations including the Royal Society, British Medical Association, Royal College of Nursing, Trades Union Congress, Confederation of British Industry, Federation of Small Businesses, and Citizens Advice.

Establishment and remit

The independent panel was appointed by the Cabinet Office and included experts drawn from academia, civil service, judiciary, local councils, and third-sector organisations such as the Institute for Government, Chatham House, Royal Society of Edinburgh, University of Oxford, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, and University College London. Its remit covered institutional reform touching on the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, Northern Ireland Executive, UK Parliament, Crown Prosecution Service, Crown Office, Solicitor General, Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, National Health Service, and Local Government Association. The panel held evidence sessions with witnesses from the National Audit Office, Audit Scotland, Public Accounts Committee, Public Administration Select Committee, Scottish Parliament Finance Committee, Northern Ireland Assembly, Welsh Assembly, and various civic bodies including Age UK, Shelter, Crisis, and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Key findings and recommendations

The report identified fragmentation across delivery chains linking the UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Government, Northern Ireland Executive, Local Government Association, NHS England, NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care Northern Ireland, and called for clearer statutory responsibilities for the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, and Department for Work and Pensions. Recommendations included statutory frameworks akin to the Nolan Committee principles, strengthened oversight comparable to the National Audit Office and Audit Scotland, a new intergovernmental mechanism resembling the Joint Ministerial Committee, reforms to procurement echoing the Elliott Review and the McClelland model, and enhanced transparency modeled on the Freedom of Information Act and Public Bodies Act. It proposed independent commissioners similar to the Civil Service Commission, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Information Commissioner, and Children's Commissioner to oversee standards across devolved administrations and agencies including the Crown Office and Charity Commission.

Implementation and impact

Implementation involved primary legislation debated in the UK Parliament and Scottish Parliament, with amendments influenced by the Public Accounts Committee, Public Administration Select Committee, and Scottish Parliament Finance Committee. White papers from the Cabinet Office and Scottish Government translated recommendations into policy alongside guidance from the National Audit Office, Audit Scotland, Office for Budget Responsibility, and Treasury. Some measures were adopted by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Department for Education, while others led to the creation of joint review bodies involving the Local Government Association, Greater London Authority, Welsh Assembly, and Northern Ireland Executive. Implementation influenced regulators such as Ofcom, Ofsted, Care Quality Commission, and Financial Conduct Authority, and informed subsequent inquiries including the Grenfell Tower inquiry, each echoing proposals from the Fulton Report and Beveridge Report traditions.

Reception and criticism

The Wheatley Review was welcomed by bodies like the Institute for Government, Royal Society, National Audit Office, and Audit Scotland for clarifying accountability between the UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Executive, but criticised by some commentators associated with the Trades Union Congress, Confederation of British Industry, Federation of Small Businesses, and civil liberties groups for perceived centralisation and overlap with existing bodies such as the Civil Service Commission, Information Commissioner, Charity Commission, and Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. Academics from the London School of Economics, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, and University College London debated its assumptions in journals alongside responses from political parties represented in the House of Commons and House of Lords, while legal challenges raised issues linked to the Human Rights Act and devolution settlements established by the Scotland Act, Government of Wales Act, and Northern Ireland Act.

Category:United Kingdom public inquiries