Public Bodies (Hansard, 20 July 1999)

§ Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [90680]

§ Mr. Hoon

[holding answer 19 July 1999]: (a) None.

(b) The FCO is considering with the Commonwealth Institute a plan for the Institute to become a company limited by guarantee, while remaining a charity. Both sides are working to an early resolution of outstanding issues.

(d) None.

(e) The FCO is responsible for 12 non-departmental public bodies. These are:

Executive NDPBs

Commonwealth Institute
British Association for Central and Eastern Europe
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission
British Council
Britain-Russia Centre
Great Britain-China Centre
Westminster Foundation for Democracy

Advisory NDPBs Wilton Park Academic Council Government Hospitality Fund Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine Diplomatic Service Appeals Board

506W

Tribunals

Foreign Compensation Commission
Intelligence Service Tribunal.

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.