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Many years ago, before I entered the Department of Health, a Permanent Secretary was interviewed on Blue Peter and asked what the civil service did. His answer was "they present Ministers with a picture of reality, and then obey their instructions." The civil service is not a free standing body working in its own right for the public good, as it sees it. The presentation of a picture of reality in my view is better done behind closed doors, not least because the wilder ideas can be modified without loss of face. I do not believe any opposition politician wishing civil service advice to be published would have the same opinion when in power. Labour certainly did not believe in total transparency when they were.