HC Deb 22 March 1985 vol 75 c629W
Sir Philip Holland

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government have any plans as part of their present policy of reducing the number of non-departmental public bodies to abolish the Commission for Racial Equality, the Community Projects Foundation, the consumer councils, the development corporations, the Equal Opportunities Commission, the industrial training boards, and the research councils; and if she will make a statement.

The Prime Minister

[pursuant to her reply, 21 March 1985, c. 570]: Target dates have been announced for the abolition of all new town development corporations in England and Wales. The New Town Development Corporations in Scotland and the Urban Development Corporations in England will be abolished when the tasks for which they were set up have been completed. The Government have no plans to abolish the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality, the Community Projects Foundation, the National Consumer Council, the Nationalised Industry Consumers' Councils, the research councils and the remaining industrial training boards. But all these bodies are subject to thorough examination at intervals in accordance with the new review arrangements for non-departmental public bodies which I announced on 19 November 1984 at column 57.