HC Deb 23 May 1979 vol 967 cc120-1W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will give as at 4 May the total number of persons appointed on a full-time and part-time basis to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations and their total payments including expenses; how many of these were members of more than one quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation; and what action he proposes to take to reduce these in total and in expenditure costs.

Mr. Channon

Information in the form requested has not been collected centrally and to do so would incur disproportionate costs. There is no official definition of a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation but the directory of paid public appointments made by Ministers Published in November 1978, copies of which are available in the Library, lists 5,660 paid appointments and gives the salary or fee payable. The White Paper—Cmnd. 7417—published by the last Government in December 1978 lists 24 people holding more than one appointment on public boards of a commercial character. As regards action to reduce numbers and costs, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 21 May—[Vol. 967, c. 32.]

Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will give as detailed a list of the number of quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, their membership and the costs as may be readily available on 18 May; and what action he proposes to take to reduce this Government expenditure.

Mr. Channon

The term quasiautonomous non-governmental organisation has no generally accepted definition and, accordingly, no list of the kind requested exists. The hon. Member may like, however, to refer to the following publications which are available in the Library and which give information for a large number of public bodies and boards "A List of Advisory Bodies"(CDS); the "Survey of Fringe Bodies"—report by Mr. Gordon Bowen; the directory of paid public appointments made by Ministers, 1978; the White Paper on public boards, Cmnd 7417; and appendix D of the annual report of the Council on Tribunals for 1977–78—HC 74.

As for proposals to reduce Government expenditure in this area, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked Ministers in charge of Departments to carry out an urgent review.