Quangocracy: The future of public bodies

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Public bodies now account for around 60 per cent of day-to-day government spending, providing some of the most important and high-risk services. Despite this, departments are unclear on the power they have over public bodies and the main channels for holding them to account are underpowered, under resourced or simply ineffective.

Reform’s new report, out today, reveals alarming new evidence about the quality of public body oversight, and sets out recommendations to strengthen government’s grip on what they deliver.  

With the Government committed to establishing new public bodies and reliant on existing ones to restore economic growth and deliver its five missions, it is vital that the right processes are in place for departments to deliver through public bodies, but also that public bodies are only created where they add genuine value.  

Citizens expect responsive and accountable public services and however the State is configured, see ministers as responsible for achieving that. It is in the interests of departments and the public bodies they sponsor to ensure this perception is the reality.  

Public bodies that could be closed or reclassified under stricter tests — including at least 100 existing public bodies, and half of those proposed by the new Government — can be found in Appendix 1.

Responses to Re:State's Freedom of Information request on the size of departmental sponsorship teams can be found in Appendix 2.

The number of communications, marketing and public affairs staff employed by public bodies can be found in Appendix 3.

Re:State analysis of the scrutiny of public bodies by Parliamentary select committees can be found in Appendix 4.