Letter: Blair's impartial Civil Service

Sir: You are correct when you argue (leading article, 2 June) that it is time for a politicisation of the Civil Service. However this should not involve merely the appointment of more special advisers. There should be a thorough review of the structures of policy formation.

Policy advisers, who are not integrated into the command structure, can be undermined by the Civil Service. An improvement would be the European Union's ministerial cabinet system. This places the political advisers in direct command of the departmental civil servants.

GRAHAM RICHARDS

London EC2