§ Mr. David HeathTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the quangos within her Department's responsibility which she has to date announced her intention(a) to abolish and (b) to make subject to a significant element of democratic accountability. [9678]
§ Mr. Nigel Griffiths[holding answer 25 July 1997]: On the issue of the abolition of quangos, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Mr. Pickthall) on 18 June 1997, Official Report, column 174, which stated that a review of quangos with the aim of reducing overall numbers has been announced. I cannot, of course, pre-empt the results of that review.
On the issue of democratic accountability, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Bradley) on 24 July 1997, Official Report, column 693, on that issue.