The Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills announced on 14 October further proposals for changes to
its partner organisations driven by the need to create greater
efficiency and clarity in the way government works. These changes
are part of the Government-wide work to increase the transparency
and accountability of public bodies.
After a thorough and detailed analysis of its
partner organisations the Department has identified which bodies
to retain and those that will be reformed, merged or no longer
classed as non departmental public bodies in order to deliver
more effective and efficient public services. Changes to the Department's
partner organisations involve:
Please see below a detailed list which sets
out proposals for individual bodies.
|
Body |
20 Words |
Change to status |
| BIS | ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service)
| Retain on grounds of performing a function which requires impartiality
| Retain |
BIS | Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Arbitration Tribunal
| Abolish body and functions. | No longer an NDPB
|
BIS | British Hallmarking Council
| Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should be independent of Government. Functions to be modified to enable more efficient operation of the hallmarking system.
| Retain |
BIS | British Nuclear Fuels Limited
| Abolish body, subject to transferring remaining assets and liabilities.
| No longer a Public Corporation |
BIS | British Shipbuilders
| Abolish body. Remaining functions are already carried out by the department.
| No longer a Public Corporation |
BIS | Capital for Enterprise Limited
| Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should be independent of Government.
| Retain |
BIS | Central Arbitration Committee
| Merge with Certification Office. | Merge
|
BIS | Certification Office
| Merge with Central Arbitration Committee. |
Merge |
BIS | Competition Appeals Tribunal
| Retain and consider, by July 2011, the case for transferring the sponsorship of the CAT to the MoJ tribunal service.
| Retain |
BIS | Competition Commission
| Government will consult in the new year on a merger with the competition functions of the Office of Fair Trading.
| Merge |
BIS | Competition Service
| By April 2011, consider the case for abolition and transfer of functions to MoJs tribunal service.
| No longer an NDPB |
BIS | Construction Industry Training Board
| Complete consideration by November 2010 of transferring body and functions to private sector status.
| Under consideration |
BIS | Consumer Focus |
Government will consider the outcome of ongoing sectoral reviews and consult early next year on proposals to abolish Consumer Focus and transfer its function to Citizens Advice.
| No longer an NDPB |
BIS | Copyright Tribunal
| Subject to final agreement, transfer jurisdiction of this tribunal into MoJ's tribunal service.
| No longer an NDPB |
BIS | Design Council |
Seek to establish as an independent charity, subject to Privy Council agreement.
| No longer an NDPB |
BIS | Export Credit Guarantee Department *
| Retain on the grounds of performing a technical function.
| Retain |
BIS | Export Guarantees Advisory Council *
| Retain on grounds of performing a technical function.
| Retain |
BIS | Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
| Complete consideration by November 2010 of transferring body and functions to private sector status.
| Under consideration |
BIS | Film Industry Training Board
| Complete consideration by November 2010 of transferring body and functions to private sector status.
| Under consideration |
BIS | Financial Reporting Council
| Remove reliance on Government funding. |
Retain and substantially reform |
BIS | Hearing Aid Council
| Abolished in July 2010 and reformed functions transferred to Health Professions Council.
| No longer an NDPB |
BIS | HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England)
| Retain on grounds of performing a function which requires impartiality.
| Retain |
BIS | Industrial Development Advisory Board
| Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of Government.
| Retain |
BIS | Insolvency Practitioners Tribunal
| As part of Insolvency Service consultation on licensing of insolvency practitioners to be issued November 2010.
| Under consideration |
BIS | Local Better Regulation Office
| Primary Authority and other deregulatory functions will be maintained and an appropriate delivery mechanism to provide independent technical expertise will be announced by December.
| Under consideration |
BIS | Low Pay Commission
| Retain on grounds of performing a function which requires impartiality.
| Retain |
BIS | NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts)
| Seek to establish as an independent charity. Endowment to be held in a separate trust.
| No longer an NDPB |
BIS | Ofcom | The postal services regulator, Postcomm, will be merged into Ofcom. Several Ofcom duties will be removed or modified.
| Merge |
BIS | Office for Fair Access
| Proposals on the future of the Office for Fair Access will be made in the White Paper on the future strategy for higher education to be published by the end of the year.
| Under consideration |
BIS | Office of Fair Trading
| Government will consult in the New Year on a merger of OFT's competition functions with the Competition Commission and transfer of consumer and enforcement functions.
| Merge |
BIS | Office of Manpower Economics
| Retain on grounds of performing a function which requires impartiality.
| Retain |
BIS | Postcomm | Postcomm will be merged with the communications industry regulator—Ofcom.
| Merge |
BIS | Regional Development Agencies (x 8)
| RDAs will be abolished and functions which are to be retained will be transferred to central or local government and others, as previously announced.
| No longer an NDPB |
BIS | Research Councils (x 7)
| Retain on grounds of performing a function which requires impartiality.
| Retain |
BIS | Royal Mail Holdings Plc
| Transfer Royal Mail to private sector over time.
| Retain |
BIS | SITPRO Ltd |
Abolished at the end of September and remaining functions transferred to department.
| No longer an NDPB |
BIS | Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property
| Body and some functions abolished, remainder transferred to UK Intellectual Property Office.
| No longer an NDPB |
BIS | Student Loans Company
| Proposals on the future of the Student Loan Company will be made in the White Paper on the future strategy for higher education to be published by the end of the year.
| Under consideration |
BIS | Technology Strategy Board
| Retain on grounds of performing a function which requires impartiality.
| Retain |
BIS | UK Atomic Energy Authority
| Complete by October 2010 consideration of whether functions could be carried out more effectively elsewhere.
| Under consideration |
BIS | UK Commission for Employment and Skills
| Complete review by end of year of core functions and the most appropriate organisational model to deliver a simplified skills landscape across the UK.
| Under consideration |
BIS | UKTI * (UK Trade International)
| Retain on grounds of performing a technical function.
| Retain |
BIS | Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board
| Abolish body and function. No further rounds will be held of the Union Modernisation Fund so the work of the Board is complete.
| No longer an NDPB |
BIS | Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Body (WAB)
| Abolished at the end of September and remaining functions transferred to department.
| No longer an NDPB |
* These bodies are, or report to, Departments in their own
right. The Rt Hon Vince Cable is the Secretary of State responsible
for them.
