Bonfire of the quangos

A number of non-departmental government bodies / quangos have been named as being up for abolition, merger or absorption into parent departments, as part of the Coalition Government's Spending Review, due this autumn. This has been widely dubbed in the press as a "bonfire of the quangos".

The list of quangos up for review is still being compiled, and there have been a number of clarifications, amendments and retractions as further details come to light.

Department for Communities and Local Government

• Main announcement: [1]
• To be abolished:
  • Government Office for the South-West
  • Government Office for the South-East
  • Government Office for the East Midlands
  • Government Office for the West Midlands
  • Government Office for the East of England
  • Government Office for the North-West
  • Government Office for the Yorkshire & the Humber
  • Government Office for the North-East
  • Government Office for London
  • Regional Spatial Strategies
  • Regional Assemblies/Regional Leaders' Boards
  • the Regional Development Agencies

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

• Main announcement: [2]
• To be abolished:
  • Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property policy (SABIP)
  • SITPRO (Simplifying International Trade)
  • Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Body (WAB)
  • British Shipbuilders Corporation (to be abolished 2011)

• Announced 24 May 2010
  • seven Regional Industrial Development Boards
  • UfI/Learndirect
  • Learning & Skills Improvement Service
  • Institute for Learning
  • Standards and Verification UK
  • IiP UK
  • Hearing Aid Council (closing 31 July 2010, powers are being transferred to HPC[3])

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

• Main announcement: [4]
• Defra will carry out this as part of the Public Bodies Reform Bill
• To be abolished:
  • Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
  • Agricultural Wages Board
  • the 15 Agricultural Wages Committees
  • the 16 Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees
  • Committee on Agricultural Valuation
  • Inland Waterways Advisory Council
  • Commons Commissioners
  • Defra is also withdrawing funding from the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC)

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

• Main announcement: [5]
• Changes announced:
  • abolishing the UK Film Council and establishing a direct and less bureaucratic relationship with the British Film Institute; this would support front-line services while ensuring greater value for money - Government and Lottery support for film will continue
  • abolishing the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council to focus efforts on front-line, essential services and ensure greater value for money - Government support for museums, libraries and archives will continue
  • merging UK Sport and Sport England, creating a more effective structure to deliver elite sport success and a wider sports legacy from the 2012 games
• DCMS is also looking at:
  • abolishing the Advisory Council on Libraries and winding up the Legal Deposit Advisory Panel
  • abolishing the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites
  • declassifying the Advisory Committee on National Historic Ships and transferring its functions to another body
  • declassifying the Theatres Trust so it can act as an independent statutory advisory body
  • looking at its responsibility for heritage and the built environment, and considering the role and remit of English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Heritage Memorial Fund
  • considering the role of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
  • discussing with the Church of England the merits of declassifying the Churches Conservation Trust
  • considering whether to change the status, role and functions of Visit England and Visit Britain
  • it intends to merge the National Lottery Commission with the Gambling Commission, subject to further consideration of the business case.