Civil service 'confusion' prolonged Moore scandal

The most senior official involved in the Jo Moore affair admitted yesterday that the scandal had "dogged" the Government for months because he advised Stephen Byers she could not be sacked under civil service rules.

Sir Richard Mottram admitted that he told Stephen Byers, who was secretary of state for transport, local government and the regions, that according to the civil service code her e-mail suggesting that 11 September would be a good day to bury bad new was not a serious enough offence to sack her.

He said Mr Byers asked him to examine the civil service disciplinary code and make a judgement about her future. But he said he should not have been asked to apply the civil service code to Ms Moore because she was a special adviser and not a civil servant.

"The reason it dogged the department for so long was because she wasn't a civil servant she was a special adviser," said Sir Richard, who was Permanent Secretary in the department at the time. Only Mr Byers had power to sack her.

Sir Richard was giving evidence yesterday to the Wicks committee examining the boundaries between special advisers and civil servants.