Following the 2010 United Kingdom General Election, the UK Government announced plans to curb public spending through the abolition of a large number of quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations (quangos). On 23 May 2010, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne unveiled a 500million^[1] plan to reduce the budget deficit by abolishing or merging many quangos. This was styled in the national press as a "bonfire of the quangos,"^[2] making reference to Girolamo Savonarola's religiously inspired Bonfire of the Vanities ("f'al delle vanit ").^[3] Although not without critics,^[4] it was generally welcomed by the business community.^[5]

Categorisation of reform

On the 14 October, the government released a document entitled Public Bodies Reform Proposals for Change outlining plans for each quango. The document broadly classified each quango into one of four groups, viz.

• Retain - the government thought it expedient to retain the organisation;
• Merge - the organisation would be merged with another organ of state or its function could be replicated by a third sector organisation;
• Abolish - the organisation would be abolished;
• Under consideration - firm plans were not drawn up for organisations in this category, but deadlines were set for complete consideration.^[6]

The document also contained a description of which ministry of state or government department the organisation was part of.

Quangos to be abolished

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

• Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Arbitration Tribunal
• British Shipbuilders
• Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board

The Cabinet Office

• Office for Civil Society Advisory Body
• Communities and Local Government
• Advisory Panel for the Local Innovation Awards Scheme

The Department for Communities and Local Government

• National Housing and Planning Advice Unit
• National Tenant Voice
• Standards Board for England

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport

• Advisory Council on Libraries
• Legal Deposit Advisory Panel

The Department of Energy and Climate Change

• Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies
• Renewables Advisory Board

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

• Advisory Committee on Organic Standards
• Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees
• Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales
• Agricultural Wages Committees
• Animal Health and Welfare Strategy England Implementation Group
• Committee on Agricultural Valuation
• Commons Commissioners
• Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards
• Food from Britain
• Inland Waterways Advisory Council
• Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

The Department for Education

• Teachers TV Board of Governors

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office

• Caribbean Board

The Ministry of Justice

• Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council
• Courts Boards
• Legal Services Ombudsman
• Public Guardian Board
• Victim s Advisory Panel
• Youth Justice Board for England and Wales
• Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

The Department for Transport

• Railway Heritage Committee

Quangos to be abolished with reservations^[7]

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

• British Nuclear Fuels Limited
• Competition Service
• Copyright Tribunal
• Design Council
• Hearing Aid Council
• NESTA^[8]
• Regional Development Agencies
• BIS SITPRO Limited
• Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Body^[9]

The Cabinet Office

• Civil Service Appeal Board
• Commission for the Compact
• Government Strategic Marketing Advisory Board
• Main Honours Advisory Committee
• Security Commission

The Department for Communities and Local Government

• Advisory Panel on Standards for the Planning Inspectorate
• Audit Commission for Local Authorities and the National Health Service in England
• Community Development Foundation
• Firebuy
• Infrastructure Planning Commission
• London Thames Gateway Development Corporation
• Olympic Park Legacy Company Limited
• Rent Assessment Panels / Residential Property Tribunal Service
• The Office for Tenants and Social Landlords^[10]
• Thurrock Development Corporation
• Valuation Tribunal for England
• Valuation Tribunal Service
• West Northamptonshire Development Corporation

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport

• Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites
• Advisory Committee on National Historic Ships
• Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection
• Football Licensing Authority
• Horserace Totalisator Board
• Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
• Public Lending Right
• The Theaters Trust
• UK Film Council

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

• Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances
• Advisory Committee on Packaging
• Advisory Committee on Pesticides
• Air Quality Expert Group
• British Waterways
• Commission for Rural Communities
• Darwin Advisory Committee
• Farm Animal Welfare Council
• National Standing Committee on Farm Animal Genetic Resources
• Pesticide Residues Committee
• Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee
• Veterinary Residues Committee
• Zoos Forum

Department for Education

• British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
• General Teaching Council for England
• Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency
• School Food Trust

The Department of Health

• Advisory Board on the Registration of Homeopathic Products
• Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections
• Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances
• Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens
• Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs
• Advisory Group on Hepatitis
• Alcohol Education and Research Council
• Appointments Commission
• Committee on Carcogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment
• Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants
• Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment
• Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment
• Committee on the Safety of Devices
• Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence
• Expert Advisory Group on AIDS
• Gene Therapy Advisory Committee
• General Social Care Council
• Genetics and Insurance Committee
• Health Protection Agency
• Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee
• Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
• Human Genetics Commission
• Human Tissue Authority
• Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV
• Independent Review Panel for the Classification of Borderline Products
• Independent Review panel on the Advertising of Medicines
• Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
• National Information Governance Board for Health and Social Care
• National Joint Registry Steering Committee
• Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition

The Ministry of Justice

• Chief Coroner of England and Wales / Chief Coroner s Office
• Crown Court Rule Committee
• H.M. Inspectorate of Court Administration
• Legal Services Commission
• Magistrates Courts Rule Committee
• Security Industry Authority
• Women's National Commission

The Department for Transport

• BRB (Residuary) Ltd.
• Cycling England
• Renewable Fuels Agency

The Department for Work and Pensions

• Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
• Disability Employment Advisory Committee
• Disability Living Allowance / Attendance Allowance Advisory Board

Quangos to be merged

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

• Ofcom
• Central Arbitration Committee
• Certification Office
• Competition Commission
• Office of Fair Trading
• Postcomm

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport

• Gambling Commission
• UK Sport

The Ministry of Justice

• Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace
• Advisory Council on Historical Manuscripts
• Advisory Council on Public Records
• Crown Prosecution Service
• Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office
• Serious Organised Crime Agency

The Department for Work and Pensions

• Pensions Ombudsman
• Pensions Protection Fund Ombudsman

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport

• National Lottery Commission
• Sport England

Quangos under review^[11]

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

• Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
• Film Industry Training Board
• Insolvency Practitioners Tribunal
• Local Better Regulation Office
• Office for Fair Access
• Student Loans Company
• UK Atomic Energy Authority
• UK Commission for Employment and Skills

The Cabinet Office

• Central Office of Information
• National School of Government
• The Leasehold Advisory Service

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport

• Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

• Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
• Agricultural Land Tribunal
• Consumer Council for Water
• Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal
• Sea Fish Licence Tribunal
• Sustainable Development Commission

The Department of Education

• Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
• Children s Workforce Development Council Under
• National College for Leadership of Schools and Children s Services
• Partnerships for Schools
• School Support Staff Negotiating Body
• The Office of the Children s Commissioner
• Training and Development Agency for Schools
• Young People s Learning Agency Under consideration

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office

• Diplomatic Service Appeals Board
• Foreign Compensation Commission
• Great Britain China Centre
• UK India Round Table

The Ministry of Justice

• Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information
• Judicial Appointments Commission
• Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman

The Home Office

• Independent Safeguarding Authority
• Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
• Police Advisory Board, Police Negotiating Board and Police Arbitration Tribunal

References

External links

• Public Body Reform - Proposals for Change
• Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
• The Cabinet Office
• The Department for Culture, Media and Sport
• The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• The Department for Education
• The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• The Ministry of Justice
• The Department for Transport