Hundreds Of Quangos Under Review As Government Eyes Shake-Up Of Public Bodies

The UK government has launched a wide-ranging review of all quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations (quangos) with the aim of reducing duplication, cutting costs, and bringing more functions back under ministerial control.

The Cabinet Office, at the direction of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden MP, is spearheading the review as part of what it calls a plan to "re-wire" Whitehall and create a more streamlined state. The move follows recent decisions such as the reintegration of NHS England into the Department of Health and Social Care.

McFadden commented: "We are taking action to ensure decisions of national importance that affect everyone in this country are made by those who have been elected to do so.

"Only by fundamentally re-wiring the state, can we deliver our Plan for Change to secure Britain’s future and serve working people; kick-starting economic growth, rebuilding the NHS and strengthening our borders.

"The review will aim to drive out waste and inefficiency across Whitehall, reducing duplication and bureaucracy – saving the taxpayer money and cutting the cost of ‘doing government’."

The review will consider four key principles:

• Ministerial policy oversight – if a policy is of national importance then Ministers should have appropriate oversight and control of its development. Major decisions that affect the country and the public should be taken by those elected by the country to do so.​

• Duplication and Efficiency – government should drive out duplication and inefficiency wherever possible, this includes if there is duplication of policy or delivery work between ALBs and Ministerial departments.​

• Stakeholder Management – the fact that government needs to engage stakeholders should not be a reason for an ALB to exist, government itself should be working hard to engage with a variety of partners at every stage.

• Independent Advice – where there is a clear justification for independent advice, then this should be conducted at arms length.​

While the government insists the exercise is about accountability and efficiency, critics may view it as part of a wider effort to centralise power and cut back on independent public bodies. Many ALBs are established by legislation, and changes to their structure or existence could require new laws – something that has limited past reform efforts.

As part of the process, ministers and civil service leaders will be made directly accountable for any ALBs that remain after the review concludes. The government says this will ensure greater responsibility for how public funds are spent and how services are delivered.

The outcome of the review could affect hundreds of public bodies, though no timeline has been given for its completion.

Read the government press release.