Largely neglected amid the high excitement of the spending round, the fate of government trading funds has received scant attention. That they are self-sufficient, meeting operational outgoings from commercial receipts has, until now, served to shield them from scrutiny.
But now, it seems, these rare birds, established under Treasury agreement through the Trading Funds Act 1973 are being prepared for plucking. In the immediate aftermath of the election, the coalition hived government purchasing body Buying Solutions inside the newly-established efficiency and reform group at the Cabinet Office. So far, so predictable.
