§ Mr. Terry LewisTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals he has to make quangos more open, accountable and effective. [15848]
§ Dr. David ClarkThe Government are determined to make quangos more accountable for what they do, more open in how they do it and more effective in achieving their aims. I am pleased to announce the publication today of the consultation paper "Opening up Quangos", which builds on the valuable work done by the Committee on Standards in Public Life under Lord Nolan's chairmanship.
Our proposals mark a new phase in opening up quangos to public scrutiny and making them more accountable to the people they serve. The Government's devolution policy will help to bring quangos in Scotland and Wales under the proper level of scrutiny that a modern democracy demands. Our purpose is the same for public bodies which operate on a United Kingdom or Great Britain basis, or an England or England and Wales basis. The proposals in the consultation paper will help to achieve this.
Copies of the consultation paper are being widely circulated and placed on the Internet, as well as in the House libraries. Copies will be sent personally to all right hon. and hon. Members. The results of the consultation exercise will be taken into account in the preparation of the Government's White Paper on Better Government, due to be published next year.
I am also pleased to announce the publication today of "The Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies 1997 Report", which summarises for the first time the main objectives and achievements of the larger executive non-departmental public bodies, charting their performance against key targets. This is the first of a series of annual publications that will develop in detail and coverage in future years and improve measurement of the performance of public bodies.