Public Bodies

Governments have created Public Bodies when it is felt that certain functions are best conducted outside the normal departmental structures and at some distance from direct ministerial control. There are currently around 500, though classification can be vague. They vary hugely in terms of their size, governance arrangements, and the types of roles they perform. They are ‘owned’ by their sponsoring department but subject to Cabinet Office and HM Treasury guidance. This states that that they should only be created and continue to operate as a last resort and when: A Public Body is required to perform a highly technical function It is required to perform activities that require political impartiality It needs to act independently to establish facts However, new ones continue to be created: the Government has launched several in its first months and plans for others have been announced. Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry.