Almost 500 quangos to be axed or reformed
Francis Maude has announced that 192 government quangos are set to be axed, and a further 289 to be reformed.
This morning, Cabinet Office minister Maude published the definitive list of bodies to be scrapped including the Infrastructure Planning Commission and development corporations in the Thames Gateway.
The Homes and Communities Agency is among bodies that are expected to be “substantially reformed” under the plan. The HCA is set to be a smaller body to enable development in local communities, and take on the regulation of social housing. In London, its powers are set to be devolved to London mayor Boris Johnson.
Other quangos affected include:
- The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, which has not been axed but its future is still being considered by government.
- The BRB (Residuary) Ltd – which owns around 4,000 old British Rail properties – is also set to be abolished and its functions transferred to the secretary of state for transport. BRBR will be wound up once a programme of asset disposals is complete.
- The Land Registry is set to be retained but substantially reformed, to look at opportunities for private sector involvement.
- British Waterways is to be turned into a charity similar to the National Trust
- The Thurrock Development Corporation, the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, and the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation will be abolished and their functions devolved to local government.
The list follows months of speculation about which quangos could go as the government looks to save money to help tackle the £156bn budget deficit.
This follows the government’s plan to axe regional development agencies in the UK, which is expected to happen by April 2012. This policy is re-stated in the government’s list. However, the government is looking to shift some RDA powers to a wave of new local enterprise partnerships.
It has been a busy week for the Cabinet Office, which on Monday published Sir Philip Green’s review of government efficiency.
To read the full list click here: Cabinet Office list of quangos to be axed
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