Soon after taking office, David Cameron embarked on a highly publicised “bonfire of the quangos” – a mission to abolish more than 100 arms-length government agencies he thought were superfluous.
Keir Starmer, on the other hand, evidently sees a place for them – Labour has announced plans to set up more than a dozen.
The number of non-departmental public bodies has been in decline for decades, and currently stands at about 300, down from about 700 in 2010 when Cameron won power. In the 1970s, there were as many as 2,000.
“At the high point of executive agencies in the late-90s, there’s one paper which suggests that three-quarters of civil servants were employed in agencies of this kind,” Matthew Gill, programme director at the Institute for Government, said. “That was the point at which you had the bonfire of the quangos led by Cameron and Francis Maude. But the reduction in cost this led to was low compared with the reduction in number.”
The public administration select committee warned in 2011 that the “bonfire” had been poorly managed and failed to achieve its main aims of cutting costs and improving accountability.
Gill said Starmer’s plans for a slate of new public bodies reflects his style of government. “He likes to recruit experts or people with experience into particular areas of activity, for example the new prisons minister, James Timpson.”
Some of the new bodies will be formed by merging existing entities. Others will carry out specific functions within priority policy areas, such as investing in green energy and enforcing workers’ rights.
The Guardian takes a look at the ones that have been announced.
GB Energy
The most high-profile of Starmer’s new public bodies, GB Energy is a centrepiece of his policy agenda. A publicly owned company, it will invest in green energy projects and help build clean power supply chains across the UK. The government has committed £8.3bn of funding and begun the legislative process of setting it up.
Border Security Command
Launched within two days of Labour winning the general election, the Border Security Command is a new immigration enforcement agency that will bring together the police, security services and the National Crime Agency to try to tackle cross-Channel smuggling gangs.
Skills England
The Starmer government’s principal skills policy is to create a new agency tasked with resolving skills shortages in England. Led by the former Co-op chief executive Richard Pennycook, it will work with employers, the Migration Advisory Committee, trade unions and the Industrial Strategy Council. It will also lead reform of the apprenticeship levy.
Industrial Strategy Council
Labour’s manifesto commits to establishing an Industrial Strategy Council with representation from all nations and regions as well as businesses and trade unions. Its stated purpose will be to drive growth and end short-term economic policymaking. This forms part of the government’s plans for an industrial strategy.
National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority
Two existing public bodies – the National Infrastructure Commission and Infrastructure and Projects Authority – will be merged into a powerful new authority. The purpose of this new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority will be to support major infrastructure projects, and forms part of the government’s plans to turbocharge building across the UK.
Passenger Standards Authority
Labour will create a “tough” rail passenger watchdog to improve standards on the UK’s train network. The Passenger Standards Authority will independently monitor standards and seek to improve performance, according to the manifesto.
Regulatory Innovation Office
Described as a regulator for regulators, this new office is intended to bring together existing functions from across government and promote innovation in regulation across sectors. The Regulatory Innovation Office will “speed up approval timelines and coordinate issues that span existing boundaries”, according to the manifesto.
National Jobs and Careers Service
The Department for Work and Pensions, led by Liz Kendall, has begun the process of combining the Jobcentre Plus network with the National Careers Service, combining two existing public bodies into one. The focus of the revamped jobs and careers service will be to tackle economic inactivity by focusing on career advice rather than benefits crackdowns.
Fair Work Agency
As part of the government’s plans to bolster workers’ rights, a single enforcement body – the Fair Work Agency – will be established. It will enforce rights to holiday pay, sick pay and parental leave. Angela Rayner has said it will have the power to levy fines, inspect workplaces, lodge civil proceedings and bring forward prosecutions.
Ethics and Integrity Commission
Largely spurred by the series of Conservative sleaze scandals under the last few prime ministers, Labour has committed to creating an Ethics and Integrity Commission with an independent chair to ensure probity in government.
House of Commons Modernisation Committee
Another new body that was mentioned in Labour’s election manifesto, the modernisation committee will seek to reflect some of the Commons’ “arcane procedures and outdated working practices” to help MPs better serve their constituencies. It will be tasked with reforming procedures and driving up standards.
School Support Staff Negotiating Body
Labour has committed to reinstating one of the bodies abolished by Cameron’s bonfire of the quangos – the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB). The reconstituted SSSNB would become the negotiating body for teaching assistants, cleaners, caretakers, technicians, catering staff and other school support staff.
Independent Football Regulator
In plans adopted from the last Conservative government, Labour has committed to passing a football governance bill which would set up an Independent Football Regulator. This will oversee men’s football clubs in England’s top five tiers, and seek to ensure their financial sustainability.
