Bonfire Day

Up to 200 quangos will be axed today.  Another 150 taxpayer-funded bodies will be merged and a handful of others will be privatised.

But it came to light yesterday that many of those employed by quangos will simply be rehired by government departments. Francis Maude will stop short of saying how much money will be saved or how many jobs will be lost, in part because they have not been able to calculate the sometimes huge costs of redundancy payments.  Doesn't it say a great deal about government when politicians admit they can't calculate the cost of redundancies?

The Department of Education is planning to axe quangos which currently cost taxpayers £267 million, though not all those costs are expected to be saved.  The Department of Health aims to save more than £180 million by cutting 30 bodies or seizing control of their functions. British Waterways was expected to be scrapped yet the agency will simply become a charity, preserving its existence and 2000 staff.

The biggest cut will come in the Environment Department where 50 quangos will be killed off.  Is it any wonder we're fed a diet of environment propaganda when there were 50 quangos involved in substantiating their existence?

It's expected that 400 quangos will survive untouched and critics are stating that even if the savings hit £1billion, that would represent just 2.6% of the total amount spent on non-departmental bodies.

The Scottish Government hoped to have 'a bonfire of quangos' when they took office in 2007, yet it hasn't been an easy task.  We can but hope the Westminster government has a smoother run - once they find someone who is prepared to do the sums regarding the cost of redundancies.  Then, of course, they must also include the  golden handshakes which will be paid to the hundreds who are paid excessive salaries.

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Quango Bonfire Begins

This week John Swinney, Scotland's Finance Secretary, secured a mandate for sweeping change to Scotland's quango state. The government won a series of knife-edge votes at Holyrood before a thumping endorsement of the overall package.

The package consists of a reduction in the number of quangos from 199 to 161, falling to 120 by next year and representing a savings of some £127 million over the five years from 2008-13 and annual savings of £40m thereafter.

He also won the power to carry out further pruning in the future without the need for primary legislation and he accepted Tory demands for public bodies to become far more transparent about their spending on promotion, travel, hospitality and the use of consultants.

Mr Swinney said: "The Public Services Reform Bill is a crucial part of our work to simplify and improve public services. We must get maximum value for taxpayers' money and the Bill will remove duplication, provide greater clarity for public service users and promote more effective use of resources."

Labour's David Whitton attacked a series of amendments dealing with the Government's desire for flexibility in making further reforms. He called the plans a "power grab" which "usurped the Parliament" and gave ministers "unprecedented powers to act on a whim."

This is welcome news to for Scotland. It's common knowledge that many quangos duplicate aims and objectives and it will be interesting to see which quangos are the first to be dissolved.

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The Story of a Quango and a Small Private Business

There's a wee bit of water between Gourock and Dunoon in the west of Scotland. Many people live on the Cowal peninsular and use ferries on a daily basis to commute between home and the Glasgow area.

You'll remember the recent fiasco concerning the quango Strathclyde Partnership for Transport which has lost three of its heid bummers once it was declared an inquiry into expenses was to be undertaken.

SPT operate a (publicly funded) ferry service along with a small private independent ferry company Western Ferries. SPT have also operated a subsidised travel scheme for those above the age of 60 and eligible and very recently applied to increase the charge for this service to 60p or £1 because, "We want to secure the long-term stability of the concession scheme within tight financial settlements." Just to remind you, SPT is a government quango and funded by government money.

However, Western Ferries has said it had decided not to charge the new fares. Western Ferries managing director Gordon Ross said:

"It is regrettable but totally understandable, given the current economic conditions, why the authorities have felt the need to reintroduce fares for the concessionary card holders.

"Western Ferries views itself as a community-focused ferry operator and this decision has been made in recognition of the loyalty and support given to Western Ferries by the local Cowal community and in recognition that these charges could have had an adverse effect on those making regular trips to Inverclyde for hospital visits."

I know who I'd sail with and not because I'd save a few pounds a week. Why is it a small private business can handle the present economic squeeze when a large government quango has great difficulty? There has been talk about SPT being an organisation set up in a mode of 'jobs for the boys'. Seems more and more like it doesn't it.

Well done Western Ferries!

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A Quango Too Far

The above 'charity' is a quango, funded by goodness knows who, because their brand new glossy website is full of the usual quango-speak and conveys no straight forward information about their funding sources except to say:

In Scotland today there are approximately 32,000 young people between the ages of 14 to 19 who have not been able to make a successful transition between school and further education, training or work.

Inspiring Scotland’s 14:19 Fund aims to significantly reduce this number by investing in co-ordinated delivery of targeted work by the voluntary sector. Significant funding will be delivered over a 7-10 year period, with investment targeted at the areas of greatest need.

The Scottish Government is to spend £4m on helping children play it announced yesterday. The cash will be spent over two years to improve facilities in areas where children need them most. Voluntary groups can apply for cash and the fund will be managed by Inspiring Scotland.

Adam Ingram the Children's Minister said yesterday:

"Over the years many of us have lost sight of the importance of play yet evidence shows that it contributes significantly to how children learn and develop, as well as their overall health and wellbeing,"

He said of the programme: "It will make a real difference towards improving many children's play experience and also ensure there is a lasting legacy in place for our younger children so that they too have better opportunities to develop through play in the future."

How society has changed in the past 30 years. I'm all for children playing but don't our nurseries teach play these days? Many nurseries are given taxpayers money to do exactly that so why another quango? This quango appears to be duplicating the work of many other public agencies and I can see no reason for its existence other than to enjoy champagne and canapes at portfolio launches. The link list on the Inspiring Scotland shows all we need to know - with the exception of the Scottish Government link, the others are all - guess? Aye quangos.

The Scottish Government's money could be better spent ensuring every school has a sports/playing field before contributing to this fake charity. The demise of playing fields in the past 20 years is a national scandal.

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