More promises of a bonfire of the quangos

An area not covered by some Politics courses is the issue of quangos. These non departmental public bodies are a source of great controversy since they are unelected and therefore unaccountable, and spend a great deal of public money.

In opposition Gordon Brown promised a “bonfire of the quangos” but in government the amount of public money these bodies, which operate at arm’s length from ministers and civil servants, has grown. Unsurprisingly David Cameron has said he will slash their power and influence, but it doesn’t take a genius to guess that once he gets into power he will develop an instant attraction for them.

Here’s a bit of the report from today’s Indy:

‘The amount of taxpayers’ money spent on quangos – short for quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations – soared last year by an inflation-busting 12 per cent. Almost 800 such groups, mostly funded by handouts from the state or from levies, have a central role in the administration of the country.

These unelected public bodies range from massive employers including the Environment Agency, the Defence Procurement Agency and the Housing Corporation to little-known committees such as the Home Grown Cereals Authority and the British Hallmark Council. Spending on the major quangos – the executive agencies – leapt from £30.8bn in 2006-07 to £34.5bn last year.

But they would face severe cutbacks under a Conservative administration determined to reduce levels of public spending, The Independent can disclose. In a speech today, David Cameron, the Conservative leader, will promise to tackle levels of public debt if the party wins the election expected next year. He has already called for the £139.50 BBC licence fee, to rise by £3 on 1 April, to be frozen for the next year in an effort to force public bodies to “deliver more for less”.’

A good example of democratic deficit.