Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Not Addressed
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...
Conclusion
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury on accountability in small government bodies.1 We also took evidence from the Government’s Actuary Department, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the Ministry of Justice.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government stated it agrees with the committee's introductory conclusion. It then outlined plans for reviewing and consolidating small public bodies, committing to providing annual updates to the Committee on the public bodies landscape and a continuous review cycle.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. initial efforts focused on merging large bodies into departments to achieve immediate scale efficiencies, the review continues to evaluate the justification for the continued existence of smaller bodies. Progress is being made to identify where closing, merging, or reintegrating functions back into departments can reduce bureaucracy and strengthen resilience. Officials are currently advising ministers on the review to date and next steps and an update will be provided in due course. The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Office commits to providing annual updates to the Committee regarding the status of the public bodies landscape. These updates will track the implementation of resulting actions, including the reduction in the number of arm's-length bodies and the progress of consolidation efforts across government. The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. report detailing the landscape of remaining public bodies. This will include plans for a continuous review cycle to ensure that the creation of new bodies remains a last resort and existing ones remain justified.