14 October 2010

Several local government quangos avoid axe, for now
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Partnerships for Schools (PfS) and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) have so far avoided the 'bonfire of the quangos', according to the list of reviewed public bodies revealed today.

According to the report, the HCA will be 'substantially reformed' and London functions will be devolved to the Mayor of London. Also, the HCA will now take on the regulation of social housing after the axing of the Tenants Services Authority.

Partnerships for Schools has so far avoided the axe, and its future will not be decided until the Department for Education publishes its review into capital expenditure, due in December.

The same applies to CABE with the Cabinet Office stating the organisation is under consideration and the Cabinet Office is 'still considering the options for reform'.

Also still under consideration is the Sustainable Development Commission after Defras decision to withdraw funding at the end of 2010/2011.

As expected, the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit, National Tenant Voice, and the Thames Gateway Development Corporation have all been abolished.

The functions of the Olympic Park Legacy Company will be devolved to the Mayor of London and the body will be reconstituted as a Mayoral Development Corporation.

British Waterways will be abolished as a public corporation in England and Wales and a new waterways charitable trust will be set up - which the Cabinet Office states will be similar to 'a National Trust for waterways'.

RDAs will be abolished, and the functions that are retained will be 'transferred to central and local government and others'.

Cabinet office minister Francis Maude said: 'Those that remain will not be allowed to go back to the old way of working.

'As part of the reforms, we will also be introducing new transparency requirements, a new governance framework and a new review process to ensure that there is a robust and regular challenge of the continuing need for all the public bodies that remain.'

Baroness Margaret Eaton, chair of the Local Government Association, welcomed the move: As we face the toughest spending review in memory it simply isnt acceptable to have decisions over help for millions of people made by unelected officials remote from the front line and it is good that ministers have recognised this.

There are some sensible decisions here such as putting council trading standards at the centre of enforcing almost all UK consumer law. Having government recognise officers expertise in enforcing important regulatory functions is a clear statement of faith in councils ability to deliver.

However, Ms Eaton stressed there were still questions to be answered over the future of education funding quangos and the Homes and Communities Agency.

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