The list of public bodies (quangos) to be abolished completely, or have the area of remit returned to politically-answerable ministries is a pleasure to read. Particularly pleasing is the entry:
'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.'
Tax-payer's money will no longer be paid to trade unions who then supply funding to the Labour party. Hah.
Criteria (other than preventing the diversion of tax funds into Party coffers) for retaining a quango are technical function and the requirement for impartiality. Some clearly belong in the private sector, with private sector funding, such as the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board; others should seek charitable status, such as the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.
The entry
'Regional Development Agencies, (x8) - (Angels punches the air like an emerging Chilean miner) - RDAs will be abolished and functions which are to be retained will be transferred to central or local government and others, as previously announced.'
is a triumph for our democracy.
It's not so much about the money. It's about spending the money and being answerable to us through our representatives for expenditure.
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3 comments:
"'Regional Development Agencies, (x8) - (Angels punches the air like an emerging Chilean miner)"!
So did Scrobs!
Utter waste of money through and through. Most of the people paid by them were commercially naive, and professionally inept, and good riddance!
And what are or local councils for, and how can they get anything done if all the money is siphoned off into appointed shadow bodies full of people who are 'commercially naive and professionally inept'.
RDAs were deeply offensive, anti-democratic, statist bodies to perpetually embed a particular party, regardless of who we voted for. Power to our elected representatives!
On consideration I agree.
I was going to say "abolish them all and their functions, otherwise we've achieved nothing".
But in fact I think if we can bring their functions under democratic controls that may be the best we can hope for.
Now, does ACPO still exist as an unaccountable private company? If so, why?
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