‘Bonfire of the quangos’ will hit services

---

The government has enthusiastically begun slashing “quangos” this week.

It claims these government funded “arms-length bodies” clog departments with red tape and waste money that would be better spent on “frontline” services.

More than 20 quangos were scrapped, this first batch relating to health and culture. Health secretary Andrew Lansley says the health cuts will “save” £180 million.

In the past, socialists have often been unsympathetic to quangos. Many were introduced to semi-privatise services or remove them from public scrutiny.

But abolishing some of them will remove services used by millions of people. Among those to be shut are:

The Health Protection Agency—handled public health emergencies such as swine flu

The National Patient Safety Agency—monitored NHS patient safety incidents, including medication and prescribing errors

The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse—oversaw drug and alcohol treatment

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council—improved regional museums

The Tories are also threatening to close the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Food Standards Agency.

If you enjoy Socialist Worker, please consider giving to our annual appeal to make sure we can maintain and develop our online and print versions of Socialist Worker. Go here for details and to donate.