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Eleven quangos linked to Communities and Local Government have been earmarked for abolition under leaked coalition plans to axe 180 arm's length bodies. The planned cuts include the previously un-announced abolition of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC). Cabinet Office documents obtained by the BBC last week, and dated 26 August, show that – as promised by ministers – the Government is planning a vast ‘bonfire of the quangos', with a further 124 arm's length bodies also due to be merged. Civil service trade unions said the potential cuts were ‘immoral', and they attacked civil service chiefs for failing to inform staff before the information was leaked. The list of proposed abolitions includes already-announced CLG plans to axe the Audit Commission and Standards Board for England, and to transfer many of the functions of the Infrastructure Planning Commission to a new executive agency, the Planning Inspectorate. But the documents expose coalition proposals to slash other local government-related quangos, such as the OPLC and the LTGDC, and to devolve some functions to local public bodies. In the case of the OPLC, set up to determine the future use of the London 2012 Olympic Games site, the Cabinet Office list states: ‘Abolish and devolve functions.' It is understood that London mayor, Boris Johnson, could take on many OPLC functions. Other listed CLG-related quangos either abolished already, or earmarked for abolition, include the Advisory Panel on Local Innovation Awards, the Advisory Panel on Standards for the Planning Inspectorate, the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit, National Tenant Voice, and three tribunal services which could be part-merged into Ministry of Justice bodies. Two local development corporations – in Thurrock and West Northamptonshire – have also been earmarked for abolition, with functions likely to be devolved to local bodies. Senior Cabinet Office officials have launched an inquiry into how details of the coalition's plans, contained in correspondence between Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude, to deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, were leaked. But senior Whitehall sources warned the Cabinet Office's list was not ‘final' and could change. One suggested the information was now ‘out of date'. According to the BBC's list, the largest numbers of quangos facing the axe, mergers or major reorganisation are those linked to the departments of environment (24) and health (30). Many of the high-profile abolitions have already been announced, including plans to cut the Health Protection Agency, the UK Film Council and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Unit. Dai Hudd, deputy general secretary of civil servants' union Prospect, said the majority of abolitions or reforms would ‘not save any public money, as their functions would still have to be carried out'. ‘These bodies do valuable specialist work in fields such as the environment, heritage, health and science and technology. They were set up so they could focus on specialist work free from political interference. Now the responsibility for everything will be back on ministers' desks,' he warned.

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WHITEHALL

Leaked cuts predict 11 CLG-linked quangos axed

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