By . Kirsty Walker . PUBLISHED: . 11:09 EST, 16 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:42 EST, 17 May 2012 . Bullish: David Cameron's chief adviser Steve Hilton (above) has left Downing Street, but not before firing a broadside in frustration at the slow pace of Whitehall and welfare reforms . A row has broken out between the head of the civil service and ministers over plans to reform Whitehall by slashing the number of public sector workers. Sir Bob Kerslake has publicly rejected suggestions by ministers that civil servants are ‘lazy’ and has hit back at reports that his staff will be cut by between 70 and 90 per cent. Meanwhile, a meeting between the mandarin and David Cameron’s policy adviser Steve Hilton ended in Mr Hilton storming out in apparent frustration. Revealing his thoughts on Twitter last week, Sir Bob described a meeting with Education Department staff, saying: ‘Really enjoyed talking to DfE staff yesterday. Lots of good, challenging questions. Rebutted recent rubbish about “lazy” civil servants.’ He added: ‘For the avoidance of doubt there are absolutely no plans to cut the civil service by either 70 or 90 per cent.’ It followed his heated row last month with Mr Hilton, who will soon be leaving his post to move to California, over Whitehall reforms including staff numbers and plans to introduce some fixed-term contracts. Mr Hilton, who is reported to want to see the number of civil servants reduced by 90 per cent, was so frustrated he stormed out. He and others at the heart of No 10 blame the civil service for resisting many of the Tories’ more radical reforms – including the sacking of poor performers and fast-tracking of high fliers. Downing Street now wants to bypass senior civil servants when it comes up with new policy ideas to prevent them being lost in the Whitehall machine. On Sabbatical: Mr Hilton, who has worked closely with Mr Cameron for more than five years, is heading to California this week to study how governance can be improved . Ministers have grown increasingly angry at a culture which sees civil servants holding on to their jobs, along with generous salaries, flexible hours and pension perks. The overhaul of Britain’s army of Whitehall bureaucrats will be unveiled in the next month. Ministers have been asked whether they could run their departments with as little as a third of their current staff. Downing Street wants them to produce detailed reports on the impact of a ‘radical’ reduction in numbers. The Government is also drawing up plans to bring in more workers from the private sector to formulate policy. Sources have revealed that under the outsourcing scheme, departments would commission consultancies, charities or think-tanks to draw up policy. Barriers: Head of the Civil Service, Sir Bob Kerslake (left), and new Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood (right), have both been resisting Mr Hilton's radical reforms, much to his frustration . The shake-up could also see civil servants ranked according to their ability. And Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude is being encouraged by colleagues to put permanent secretaries on fixed-term contracts to make them more accountable. But Sir Bob, who is also permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, told Mr Hilton that talk of shrinking their numbers was ‘flipping nonsense’. The radical measures will infuriate public sector unions, who staged another day of industrial action last week. Strategist: Mr Hilton is moving to California with his wife, where he will take up a teaching post and learn about better governance at Stanford University . In a further sign of tension, Ian Watmore, the senior civil servant in charge of the Coalition’s Whitehall cost-cutting drive, has announced he is resigning to spend more time with his family. His surprise announcement came after it emerged that the Efficiency and Reform Group, which he established, has cost taxpayers £60million in just two years. Mr Watmore, who was put in charge of finding billions of pounds of efficiency savings soon after the Coalition was formed in 2010, will quit at the end of June to focus on non-executive and ‘spousal roles’ in support of his wife, who has recently become a vicar. There are 434,000 civil servants, the lowest number since the Second World War and down from more than 500,000 at the time of the 2010 General Election.
Steve Hilton frustrated by slow pace of Government reforms .
Has worked closely with PM for more than five years .
Stormed out of meeting after row with head of Civil Service Sir Bob Kerslake last week .
Left for one-year sabbatical in California this week .
By . Kirsty Walker . PUBLISHED: . 11:09 EST, 16 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:42 EST, 17 May 2012 . Bullish: David Cameron's chief adviser Steve Hilton (above) has left Downing Street, but not before firing a broadside in frustration at the slow pace of Whitehall and welfare reforms . A row has broken out between the head of the civil service and ministers over plans to reform Whitehall by slashing the number of public sector workers. Sir Bob Kerslake has publicly rejected suggestions by ministers that civil servants are ‘lazy’ and has hit back at reports that his staff will be cut by between 70 and 90 per cent. Meanwhile, a meeting between the mandarin and David Cameron’s policy adviser Steve Hilton ended in Mr Hilton storming out in apparent frustration. Revealing his thoughts on Twitter last week, Sir Bob described a meeting with Education Department staff, saying: ‘Really enjoyed talking to DfE staff yesterday. Lots of good, challenging questions. Rebutted recent rubbish about “lazy” civil servants.’ He added: ‘For the avoidance of doubt there are absolutely no plans to cut the civil service by either 70 or 90 per cent.’ It followed his heated row last month with Mr Hilton, who will soon be leaving his post to move to California, over Whitehall reforms including staff numbers and plans to introduce some fixed-term contracts. Mr Hilton, who is reported to want to see the number of civil servants reduced by 90 per cent, was so frustrated he stormed out. He and others at the heart of No 10 blame the civil service for resisting many of the Tories’ more radical reforms – including the sacking of poor performers and fast-tracking of high fliers. Downing Street now wants to bypass senior civil servants when it comes up with new policy ideas to prevent them being lost in the Whitehall machine. On Sabbatical: Mr Hilton, who has worked closely with Mr Cameron for more than five years, is heading to California this week to study how governance can be improved . Ministers have grown increasingly angry at a culture which sees civil servants holding on to their jobs, along with generous salaries, flexible hours and pension perks. The overhaul of Britain’s army of Whitehall bureaucrats will be unveiled in the next month. Ministers have been asked whether they could run their departments with as little as a third of their current staff. Downing Street wants them to produce detailed reports on the impact of a ‘radical’ reduction in numbers. The Government is also drawing up plans to bring in more workers from the private sector to formulate policy. Sources have revealed that under the outsourcing scheme, departments would commission consultancies, charities or think-tanks to draw up policy. Barriers: Head of the Civil Service, Sir Bob Kerslake (left), and new Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood (right), have both been resisting Mr Hilton's radical reforms, much to his frustration . The shake-up could also see civil servants ranked according to their ability. And Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude is being encouraged by colleagues to put permanent secretaries on fixed-term contracts to make them more accountable. But Sir Bob, who is also permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, told Mr Hilton that talk of shrinking their numbers was ‘flipping nonsense’. The radical measures will infuriate public sector unions, who staged another day of industrial action last week. Strategist: Mr Hilton is moving to California with his wife, where he will take up a teaching post and learn about better governance at Stanford University . In a further sign of tension, Ian Watmore, the senior civil servant in charge of the Coalition’s Whitehall cost-cutting drive, has announced he is resigning to spend more time with his family. His surprise announcement came after it emerged that the Efficiency and Reform Group, which he established, has cost taxpayers £60million in just two years. Mr Watmore, who was put in charge of finding billions of pounds of efficiency savings soon after the Coalition was formed in 2010, will quit at the end of June to focus on non-executive and ‘spousal roles’ in support of his wife, who has recently become a vicar. There are 434,000 civil servants, the lowest number since the Second World War and down from more than 500,000 at the time of the 2010 General Election.
slow pace of Whitehall and welfare reforms . A row has broken out between the head of the civil workers. Sir Bob Kerslake has publicly rejected David Cameron’s policy adviser Steve Hilton ended last week, Sir Bob described a meeting with closely with Mr Cameron for more than five years, is heading to California this week to study how up policy. Barriers: Head of the Civil Service,