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 Tories are also threatening to close the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Food Standards Agency.
Follow us
Become a fan
RSS Feed