Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010

7 Minimum requirements for civil service and diplomatic service codes

(1) This section sets out the provision that must be included in a civil service code or the diplomatic service code in relation to the civil servants covered by the code.

(The code may include other provision as well.)

(2) The code must require civil servants who serve an administration mentioned in subsection (3) to carry out their duties for the assistance of the administration as it is duly constituted for the time being, whatever its political complexion.

(3) The administrations are—

(a) Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom;

(b) the Scottish Executive;

(c) the Welsh Assembly Government.

(4) The code must require civil servants to carry out their duties—

(a) with integrity and honesty, and

(b) with objectivity and impartiality.

(5) But the code need not require special advisers (see section 15) to carry out their duties with objectivity or impartiality.