§ Lord Jenkin of Rodingasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish the report of the efficiency scrutiny on non-departmental public bodies' administrative costs.
§ Lord HeskethMy right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is today publishing the report of this efficiency scrutiny into the administrative costs of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and my department's response to it. Copies of both documents have been placed in the Library of the House and are being sent to the NDPBs concerned.
This scrutiny was set up to look into current systems of control over staffing and administrative costs in NDPBs, and to bring forward proposals which would enable more flexible and efficient use of administrative resources by NDPBs while still retaining an appropriate degree of departmental control.
The scrutiny's main finding, which the department accepts, is that direct controls on manpower and administrative expenditure should be removed in favour of a system of strategic control, provided that the body's internal control mechanisms are sufficient to ensure that such strategic control would be effective. A single cash ceiling on administrative running costs should be introduced and rolled forward each year. This will provide NDPBs with an opportunity for more freedom to manage their own affairs and scope for greater administrative efficiency.
The action plan in the department's response will be implemented primarily in the current round of financial management and policy reviews of NDPBs over the next three years.