Jo Moore

Parliament should be given new powers covering the work of Tony Blair's top aides, the standards watchdog has warned.

In its inquiry into the Sixsmith spin row that engulfed the government, the influential Committee on Standards in Public Life, chaired by Sir Nigel Wicks, also said that the prime minister should be held personally responsible for the work of his special advisers.

A wide-ranging inquiry into the role of special advisers in Whitehall was launched in the wake of the Jo Moore and Martin Sixsmith saga, which revealed chaos in the heart of the then Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions under former minister Stephen Byers who eventually had to resign over the episode.

But there had also been concern at the powers to issue instructions to civil servants that have been granted to Number 10's director of communications, Alastair Campbell, and chief of staff Jonathan Powell.

As a result of its review, the Wicks committee called for a new category of government employee so that special advisers could be separated from civil servants, abolishing their current status as temporary civil servants.

Other recommendations include a requirement for an annual statement to parliament setting out information on special advisers and unpaid advisers, including their number, cost and responsibilities.

Parliament should also be able to set an upper limit on the total number of special advisers, said the committee, while it should also be clear that ministers and the prime minister are personally responsible for their special advisers.

In addition, there should be parliamentary agreement for the two Downing Street special adviser with executive powers, and their work should be limited to their roles in the prime minister's office.

"At a time of considerable change within government and in the environment in which government operates, we believe that it is vital for there to be clarity about the boundaries within the executive and security about their maintenance," said Sir Nigel.

He said the recommendations would "reinforce the fundamental principles of transparency, impartiality and accountability".

"Implementation of our recommendations will allow the task of modern government to proceed without undermining the constitutional framework. This will contribute to the enhancement of public trust in government and the strengthening of our democracy."

The suggestions set out in the report were welcomed by the FDA, the union representing top civil servants.

"The civil service welcomes constructive change to enhance its role in delivering key public services, but this must not be at the expense of the core values of the civil service - integrity, impartiality, propriety and selection on merit," said FDA general secretary Jonathan Baume.

Praising the "excellent report", he said the union would be "extremely concerned" if the government failed to accept the main body of the recommendations.

The Institute of Public Relations, which gave evidence to the committee and represents media advisors working in the civil service, also backed the report.

"The onus is now on the government to take the initiative and build parliamentary consensus about the kind of professional communications, including accountabilities reporting roles and scrutiny, that is required for a fully functioning civil service to help deliver improved public services," said IPR director general Colin Farrington.

The shadow deputy prime minister, David Davis, also gave his backing to the report.

"Parliamentary oversight and curbs on the behaviour of Alistair Campbell and Jonathan Powell are long overdue and Sir Nigel's recommendations in this respect are exactly right," he said.

The Liberal Democrats also called for the government to act on the recommendations.

Paul Tyler, the party's Commons spokesman, said a Civil Service Act was urgently needed to codify the rules governing special advisers.

"If further corruption of the civil service is to be prevented, and party political special advisers reined in, parliament must now define the boundaries in statue," he said.