§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that(a) have been disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months, (c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if he will indicate in (c) (ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies his Department currently is responsible for. [53852]
§ Mr. Mandelson[holding answer 30 July 1998]: My Department is currently responsible for 40 non-departmental public bodies and 7 tribunals, all of which are listed in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1997". Since 1 May 1997, my Department has abolished one non-departmental public body—the Advisory Committee for the Joint Environmental Markets Unit—and established one new non-departmental public body—the Spectrum Management Advisory Group. Approval has also been given for the merger of the LINK Board and the Teaching Company Scheme Board. Responsibility for one executive body, the Policyholders' Protection Board, has been transferred to HM Treasury.