§ Mr. Kaufmanasked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer of 23 May to the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross) Official Report, column 351, if she will explain the basis on which she gave the figure for the net reduction in the number of quangos since 1979 as 514, in the light of her statement in that answer that during the relevant period 242 new bodies have been created and of her statement in the answer to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, of 10 June that the number of bodies abolished was 407; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterBetween 1979 and 1985 the gross reduction in the number of non-departmental public bodies (NDPB's) was 756. During that same period 242 new bodies were created, resulting in a net reduction of 514. Of the 756 gross reduction, 407 bodies were abolished outright. A further 194 cases involved the abolition of bodies (each an NDPB in itself) which formed part of larger composite organisations, but the composite organisation continued to exist. A further reduction of 155 was achieved by the merger of bodies or some other form of rationalisation as explained in my answer to the right hon. Member's earlier question on 10 June, at column 109.