Non-departmental Public Bodies (Hansard, 27 July 1993)

§ Mr. Meacher
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to whom each of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Cabinet Office is responsible; whether the public bodies or their members in each case are subject to(a) surcharge, (b) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charters; and whether the chairpersons and members of the boards of each of these bodies are required to declare and interest.

§ Mr. David Davis
[holding answer 23 July 1993]: The executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Office of Public Service and Science—which forms part of the Cabinet Office—are as follows:

Agricultural and Food Research Council

Economic and Social Research Council

Medical Research Council

Natural Environment Research Council

Science and Engineering Research Council

The research councils are responsible to my right hon.
Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

(a) Neither the councils nor their members are subject to surcharge;

(b) the councils are subject to investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner;

(c) the councils are subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office;

(d) the councils are not subject to open government provisions applying to local government—other than the Data Protection Act 1984—but they will come within the proposals contained within chapters 4, 5 and 6 of the open government White Paper (Command 2290);

(e) the councils publish performance indicators in their annual corporate plans;

(f) all public servants are subject to the citizens charter. The research councils are encouraged to adopt charter principles.

The Cabinet Office also sponsors the Chequers Trust, which is an independent trust.

(a) Neither the trust nor its members are subject to surcharge;

(b) the trust is not subject to investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner;
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(c) the trust is subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office;

(d) the trust is not subject to statutory provisions for open government;

(e) the trust is not required to publish performance indicators;

(f) the trust operates on citizens charter principles.

Before any appointments are made to public bodies great care is taken to ensure that there is no conflict of interest.

§ Mr. Meacher
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total expenditure by all Departments on executive non-departmental public bodies for each year since 1970–71 in 1991–92 prices.

§ Mr. David Davis
[holding answer 23 July 1993]: The following table gives details of the total Government expenditure in 1991–92 prices on executive non-departmental public bodies for the financial year 1978–79 and then each financial year since 1981–82 to 1991–92. Figures for the financial years 1970–71 to 1977–78 and 1979–80 to 1980–81 are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Executive non-departmental public bodies

Total government expenditure (in 1991–92 prices) £ million

1978–79 8,010

1981–82 6,960

1982–83 8,510

1983–84 8,200

1984–85 7,710

1985–86 7,640

1986–87 7,910

1987–88 7,810

1988–89 7,480

1989–90 9,940

1990–91 10,730

1991–92 10,320

Executive non-departmental public bodies
	Total government expenditure (in 1991–92 prices) £ million
1978–79	8,010
1981–82	6,960
1982–83	8,510
1983–84	8,200
1984–85	7,710
1985–86	7,640
1986–87	7,910
1987–88	7,810
1988–89	7,480
1989–90	9,940
1990–91	10,730
1991–92	10,320