On Thursday last week, the Queen paid a visit to the Home Office and spoke about the value of the Civil Service. In every respect she is the most qualified person to do so, based on her own record of service to the country. Her brief words were not headline grabbing, but they were nonetheless a very necessary reminder of the value of service in today’s world. Coming just ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) they had an added poignancy. Next Wednesday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will reveal the CSR, the Government’s spending plans up to 2020. Until 1998, spending was decided annually, but since then it has been set out in three-year terms to allow for greater continuity and efficiency. George Osborne will take it a step further and announce spending plans to co