Bonfire of the Quangos
In the run up to Labour's landslide general election victory in 1997 - the people were promised a 'bonfire of the quangos' - if Labour were returned to power.
George Robertson - who is now safely ensconced in the House of Lords - was the Scottish Labour leader at the time - but his promised 'bonfire' amounted to no more than a damp squib.
Because if anything the quango state expanded under Labour - at both the Holyrood and Westminster parliaments - over the next 10 years or so.
Far from fewer quangos - the end result was an even bigger unelected state - with ever increasing budgets and burgeoning numbers of staff.
So, imagine the surprise at the actions of the new coalition government.
For once a government has actually done what it said it was going to do - to abolish quangos wherever possible - and return their functions to ministerial and government control.
And to their credit the coalition has been as good as its word - because to date the government has axed at least 80 quangos and warned many others that they will be merged or simply replaced.
In many cases their work will simply be transferred to existing government departments - here are some that met their fate since the general election in May.
ARTS
*UK Film Council
*Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
*Advisory Council on Libraries
*Legal Deposit Advisory Panel
*Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck S ites
HEALTH
*Health Protection Agency (HPA)
*National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA)
*National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse
*Alcohol Education and Research Council
*Appointments Commission (CQC)
*Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (by end of this Parliament)
*Human Tissue Authority
*Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (to be made a self-funding body)
*NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
EDUCATION
*General Teaching Council
*Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency
*British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA)
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
*All eight regional Government Offices
*Eight out of the nine regional development agencies (the exception being London)
*Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property policy (SABIP)
*SITPRO (Simplifying International Trade)
*Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Body (WAB)
*British Shipbuilders Corporation
*UfI/Learndirect
*Learning & Skills Improvement Service
*Institute for Learning
*Standards and Verification UK
*IiP UK
*Hearing Aid Council
*Investors in People UK
HOME OFFICE
*National Policing Improvement Agency
ENVIRONMENT
*Sustainable Development Commission (funding withdrawn)
*Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
*Agricultural Wages Board
*Inland Waterways Advisory Council
*The Commons Commissioners
*Infrastructure Planning Commission
*Commission for Rural Communities
George Robertson - who is now safely ensconced in the House of Lords - was the Scottish Labour leader at the time - but his promised 'bonfire' amounted to no more than a damp squib.
Because if anything the quango state expanded under Labour - at both the Holyrood and Westminster parliaments - over the next 10 years or so.
Far from fewer quangos - the end result was an even bigger unelected state - with ever increasing budgets and burgeoning numbers of staff.
So, imagine the surprise at the actions of the new coalition government.
For once a government has actually done what it said it was going to do - to abolish quangos wherever possible - and return their functions to ministerial and government control.
And to their credit the coalition has been as good as its word - because to date the government has axed at least 80 quangos and warned many others that they will be merged or simply replaced.
In many cases their work will simply be transferred to existing government departments - here are some that met their fate since the general election in May.
ARTS
*UK Film Council
*Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
*Advisory Council on Libraries
*Legal Deposit Advisory Panel
*Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck S ites
HEALTH
*Health Protection Agency (HPA)
*National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA)
*National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse
*Alcohol Education and Research Council
*Appointments Commission (CQC)
*Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (by end of this Parliament)
*Human Tissue Authority
*Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (to be made a self-funding body)
*NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
EDUCATION
*General Teaching Council
*Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency
*British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA)
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
*All eight regional Government Offices
*Eight out of the nine regional development agencies (the exception being London)
*Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property policy (SABIP)
*SITPRO (Simplifying International Trade)
*Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Body (WAB)
*British Shipbuilders Corporation
*UfI/Learndirect
*Learning & Skills Improvement Service
*Institute for Learning
*Standards and Verification UK
*IiP UK
*Hearing Aid Council
*Investors in People UK
HOME OFFICE
*National Policing Improvement Agency
ENVIRONMENT
*Sustainable Development Commission (funding withdrawn)
*Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
*Agricultural Wages Board
*Inland Waterways Advisory Council
*The Commons Commissioners
*Infrastructure Planning Commission
*Commission for Rural Communities
