ABSTRACT
The Civil Service Commission had a unique role in the British system of government. It was an independent department, and for most of its life its head, the First Civil Service Commissioner, had the status of a deputy secretary The Commissioners were appointed by Order in Council ‘during the pleasure of Her Majesty’ and, as far as their specific duties were concerned, they were independent of the regular civil service. The relationship of the Commissioners with Trevelyan was primarily the result of the Treasury’s responsibility for public expenditure but also reflected the personal interest of Trevelyan who had written the report which was instrumental in setting up the Commission. The relationship between the Commission and the Treasury became particularly close when, soon after his appointment as First Commissioner, Sinker, who succeeded Waterfield in 1951, asked to receive copies of, and occasionally to contribute to, the Treasury Establishment Report.
