HC Deb 20 July 1999 vol 335 cc489-90W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that(a) have been disbanded, indicating when they were 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. [90794]

Dr. Reid

[holding answer 19 July 1999]: The information requested is as follows:

  1. (a) Scottish Seed Potato Development Council, August 1997
Scottish Economic Council, April 1998 Scottish Agricultural Consultative Panel, August 1998 Local Government Property Commission for Scotland, September 1998 Secretary of State's Advisory Group on Sustainable Development, March 1999
  1. (b) The Scottish Water and Sewerage Customers Council. Provision for dissolution of this body was made in the Water Industry Act 1999.
  2. (c) (i) Nil.
  3. (c) (ii) Nil.
  4. (d) The Scottish Community Education Council was relaunched as Community Learning Scotland on 1 April 1999.
  5. (e) Bodies remaining unchanged are listed in the current edition of "Public Bodies", a copy of which is available in the Library.

New non-departmental public bodies established since 1 May 1997:

  • Scottish Further Education Funding Council
  • Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
  • Scottish Childcare Board
  • Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards
  • Advisory Committee on Lifelong Learning Targets.

My Department is currently responsible for two non-departmental public bodies—the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Scotland and the Extra Parliamentary Panel—responsibility for the remainder having been transferred to the Scottish Executive on 1 July 1999.

The Government are committed to keeping the number of NDPBs to a minimum and to ensuring that those which remain are open, accountable and effective. Many of the new NDPBs established since 1 May are essential in helping the Government deliver their Manifesto commitments.