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| Tories pledge to cut back quangos | Tories pledge to cut back quangos |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| David Cameron has pledged to cut the number of unelected quangos to save money and increase accountability. | David Cameron has pledged to cut the number of unelected quangos to save money and increase accountability. |
| The Tories would close one schools quango, while media regulator Ofcom would be stripped of its policy-making role, he told the Reform think-tank. | The Tories would close one schools quango, while media regulator Ofcom would be stripped of its policy-making role, he told the Reform think-tank. |
| Mr Cameron will ask shadow cabinet ministers to identify which bodies within their areas should be cut back. | Mr Cameron will ask shadow cabinet ministers to identify which bodies within their areas should be cut back. |
| This weekend the government announced a review of public bodies in a bid to ensure cash goes to frontline services. | This weekend the government announced a review of public bodies in a bid to ensure cash goes to frontline services. |
| Mr Cameron told the BBC he was not planning a "bonfire of the quangos", as had been promised in the past by former Tory deputy PM Michael Heseltine and by Gordon Brown when he was in opposition. | Mr Cameron told the BBC he was not planning a "bonfire of the quangos", as had been promised in the past by former Tory deputy PM Michael Heseltine and by Gordon Brown when he was in opposition. |
| 'Technical functions' | 'Technical functions' |
| In his speech to Reform, the Conservative leader said the "growth of the quango state" was "one of the main reasons so many people feel that nothing ever changes, nothing will ever get done and that government's automatic response to any problem is to pass the buck and send people from pillar to post until they just give up in exasperated fury". | In his speech to Reform, the Conservative leader said the "growth of the quango state" was "one of the main reasons so many people feel that nothing ever changes, nothing will ever get done and that government's automatic response to any problem is to pass the buck and send people from pillar to post until they just give up in exasperated fury". |
| He added: "Too many state actions, services and decisions are carried out by people who cannot be voted out by the public, by organisations that feel no pressure to answer for what happens - in a way that is completely unaccountable." | He added: "Too many state actions, services and decisions are carried out by people who cannot be voted out by the public, by organisations that feel no pressure to answer for what happens - in a way that is completely unaccountable." |
| Earlier, Mr Cameron told the BBC Breakfast programme: "There are some quangos that have a technical function - inspecting nuclear installations. Or they have a transparency function - like the Office for National Statistics. | Earlier, Mr Cameron told the BBC Breakfast programme: "There are some quangos that have a technical function - inspecting nuclear installations. Or they have a transparency function - like the Office for National Statistics. |
| "But in too many cases these organisations have got bigger and bigger. They spend about £64bn a year, they start having their own communications departments, their own press officers; they start making policy rather than just delivering policy - and their bosses are paid vast amounts of money." | "But in too many cases these organisations have got bigger and bigger. They spend about £64bn a year, they start having their own communications departments, their own press officers; they start making policy rather than just delivering policy - and their bosses are paid vast amounts of money." |
| Many of them will be slimmed down radically, pay levels will be completely different and some of them will be abolished David Cameron class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8135734.stm">Q&A: the row over quangos | |
| He said too many quangos had become "lobbying organisations" and there was a duplication where they were making policy, while government departments were doing the same thing. | He said too many quangos had become "lobbying organisations" and there was a duplication where they were making policy, while government departments were doing the same thing. |
| He says media regulator Ofcom would lose its policy-making functions and the schools' Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA), which develops the national curriculum, would be closed. | He says media regulator Ofcom would lose its policy-making functions and the schools' Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA), which develops the national curriculum, would be closed. |
| But another quango, Ofqual, the exams regulator, would be retained. | But another quango, Ofqual, the exams regulator, would be retained. |
| He says many have been "empire building" and 68 quango heads were now paid more than the prime minister. | He says many have been "empire building" and 68 quango heads were now paid more than the prime minister. |
| Pay levels | Pay levels |
| Figures vary on the exact number and cost of quangos - quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations. | Figures vary on the exact number and cost of quangos - quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations. |
| The government says there are 790; others, including the pressure group the Taxpayers' Alliance, say there are 1,162. As a result the estimated cost varies from £34bn to about £60bn. | The government says there are 790; others, including the pressure group the Taxpayers' Alliance, say there are 1,162. As a result the estimated cost varies from £34bn to about £60bn. |
| Mr Cameron told the BBC: "Many of them will be slimmed down radically, pay levels will be completely different and some of them will be abolished." | Mr Cameron told the BBC: "Many of them will be slimmed down radically, pay levels will be completely different and some of them will be abolished." |
| He says it is not just about saving money but making quangos more "democratically accountable". | He says it is not just about saving money but making quangos more "democratically accountable". |
| "Too many state actions, services and decisions are carried out by people who cannot be voted out by the public, by organisations that feel no pressure to answer for what happens, in a way that is completely unaccountable." | "Too many state actions, services and decisions are carried out by people who cannot be voted out by the public, by organisations that feel no pressure to answer for what happens, in a way that is completely unaccountable." |
| Under a Conservative government, even when power was delegated to a quango, the minister would remain responsible for the outcome, he said. | Under a Conservative government, even when power was delegated to a quango, the minister would remain responsible for the outcome, he said. |
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liam Byrne said the government would review quangos to try to "make sure every penny of public money goes to frontline services". | Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liam Byrne said the government would review quangos to try to "make sure every penny of public money goes to frontline services". |
| Pay freeze | Pay freeze |
| HAVE YOUR SAYHow can they be free from the political preference of Government, when it is the government that puts them there in the first place?John Adair, Christmas Island Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAYHow can they be free from the political preference of Government, when it is the government that puts them there in the first place?John Adair, Christmas Island Send us your comments |
| Mr Byrne said the Conservative proposals included the creation of at least another 17 quangos, a claim rejected by the Tories. | Mr Byrne said the Conservative proposals included the creation of at least another 17 quangos, a claim rejected by the Tories. |
| But Councillor Margaret Eaton, chairman of the Local Government Association, (LGA) which represents English councils said: "It is time for a radical overhaul of the quango state that gives taxpayers more direct influence through the ballot box over how their money is spent by government at all levels." | But Councillor Margaret Eaton, chairman of the Local Government Association, (LGA) which represents English councils said: "It is time for a radical overhaul of the quango state that gives taxpayers more direct influence through the ballot box over how their money is spent by government at all levels." |
| On Sunday Audit Commission chief executive Steve Bundred said public sector pay should be frozen, or at least subject to "severe" restraint, to help tackle the economic crisis. | On Sunday Audit Commission chief executive Steve Bundred said public sector pay should be frozen, or at least subject to "severe" restraint, to help tackle the economic crisis. |
| Asked if he agreed, Mr Cameron said there were independent pay review bodies which set salaries which had to take into account private sector pay because they were looking at how to recruit and retain public sector staff. | Asked if he agreed, Mr Cameron said there were independent pay review bodies which set salaries which had to take into account private sector pay because they were looking at how to recruit and retain public sector staff. |
| He said it was "right" to leave it to the pay review bodies rather than announce a pay freeze. | He said it was "right" to leave it to the pay review bodies rather than announce a pay freeze. |
| "Everybody knows public sector pay is going to have a much tighter than it has in the past. Here we are in 2009, we don't know exactly what inflation will be in the future so I don't think it's the right time to make this decision." | "Everybody knows public sector pay is going to have a much tighter than it has in the past. Here we are in 2009, we don't know exactly what inflation will be in the future so I don't think it's the right time to make this decision." |
| Chancellor Alistair Darling has said public sector pay had to be "fair" to both public and private sector employees. | Chancellor Alistair Darling has said public sector pay had to be "fair" to both public and private sector employees. |