Quangos (Hansard, 6 July 1998)

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey

I am pleased to report that the Government's consultation paperOpening up Quangos received a good response. Over 400 replies were received from a wide range of individuals and organisations and the great majority of respondents broadly supported the thrust of the proposals for keeping the number of quangos to a minimum and for making those which remain more open, accountable and effective. I believe this shows the wide support that exists for opening up this area of government hitherto perceived as undemocratic and unaccountable. Copies of all the responses received (apart from those where confidentiality has been requested) have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The results of the consultation exercise—together with further proposals for improving the accountability and transparency of quangos—were published on 29 June in another place by my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, in Quangos: Opening the Doors. The proposals in this paper take account of all the comments received during the consultation exercise.

The action proposed in Quangos: Opening the Doors will make the business of quangos more open and the appointments system more transparent and accessible. It will enhance the accountability of quangos to their stake-holders through increased consultation, open meetings and better links with local government. Taken as a whole, I believe that the reforms in Quangos: Opening the Doors will require all quangos to carry out their important work in line with the basic democratic principles by which we conduct public business in this country. The proposals provide a basis for quangos to command public confidence and attract new people into this important area of public life.

I am also pleased to announce the publication yesterday of Opening up Public Appointments, which 113WA provides detail of the work in hand to support the Government's commitment to increasing the participation of under-represented groups in public life.

The Government have agreed, in principle, the proposal for a 50:50 ratio of women and men for public appointments and a pro-rata representation of members of the ethnic minorities. A central feature of this work is a plan of action requiring all government departments to set robust targets with the aim of reaching this overall goal. As part of this process, departments have drawn up individual plans which contain specific goals and objectives for increasing the representation of women and members of the ethnic minorities on the boards of public bodies. These cover the period 1998–2001 and will be updated annually. Future plans will specifically address the Government's overall commitments to increase representation.

Copies of Quangos: Opening the Doors and Opening up Public Appointments have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The papers are also available electronically over the Internet.