Prospect’s response to the Spring Statement
Responding to the Spring Statement, Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect union, said:
On civil service reform:
“The government is right to invest in specialist digital skills in government, and this will require flexibility on pay to attract the skilled workers who can deliver on this reform.
“However this whole agenda risks being overtaken by the target to find billions of pounds of savings in the administration budget. This blunt target could have serious unintended consequences.
“The aim of reform to deliver a more effective civil service must not become simply a target for a cheaper civil service.”
On defence spending:
“The welcome boost to defence spending is an opportunity to create good, well-paid jobs across the UK.
“The Chancellor is right that defence should be at the heart of the new industrial strategy, and that the MOD should ensure we buy, make, and sell in Britain.
“As part of that industrial strategy we also need a serious workforce strategy for the defence sector so we can recruit and train the workers that will be critical for keeping Britain and our allies safe in a more dangerous world.”
