Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many arm's-length bodies they have set up since the General Election in July 2024, and what estimate they have made of the annual cost of each of these bodies.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cabinet Office maintains records and oversight of formally established Arm’s Length Bodies. There are a number of Arm’s Length Bodies currently going through the process of being established. No new ALBs have been formally established since 4 July 2024.

In a speech last week, the Prime Minister also announced that the Government is committed to cutting bureaucracy across the state, in order to focus government on the priorities of working people and shift money to the frontline. As part of this, the Prime Minister announced the abolition of the arms-length body NHS England.

The Chancellor has also announced a new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth, including by simplifying regulatory structures. As we approach the 2025 Spending Review, Departments will be considering where there may be benefits from merging, consolidating or rationalising the regulators they sponsor. We have already announced that we will consolidate the Payment Systems Regulator, primarily within the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and consolidate the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and the Director of Labour Market Enforcement into the Fair Work Agency (FWA)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 20 March (HL5765), which arm's-length bodies are in the process of being set up, and what estimate they have made of the annual cost of each.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cabinet Office considers an ALB to be in the process of being set up when we have either received a business case for a proposed new body, or the proposal has been allowed to seek approval retrospectively. We then conduct a detailed process to ensure there is sufficient due diligence to establish a clear rationale for a proposed new body. The following bodies are in the process of being set up: There are currently 26 proposed public bodies, which are as follows:

• Skills England

• Armed Forces Commissioner

• Infected Blood Compensation Authority

• NISTA

• Fair Work Agency

• Industrial Strategy Council

• Independent Football Regulator

• Great British Energy - NDPB

• School Support Staff Negotiating Body

• National Data Library

• Regulatory Innovation Office

• National Wealth Fund - NMD

• Anti-Money Laundering Supervision Reform Body

• Technical Advisory Panel

• "Project Seahorse"

• Border Security Command

• Passenger Standards Authority

• National Care Service

• National Centre of Policing

• Ethics and Integrity Commission

• Building Standards Regulatory Body

• AI Regulation Body

• Adult Social Care Negotiating Body

• Local Audit Office

• Office of Product Standards and Safety

• Tax Advisory Body - Advisory NDPB

• Animal Welfare Advisory Body

• Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS)

• Ploughshare

Found: meeting Members present: Lord Clement Jones (in the Chair); Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury; Lord Booth-Smith

Found: meeting Members present: Lord Clement-Jones (in the Chair); Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury; Lord Booth-Smith

Found: Monday 17 March 2025 4.40 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Clement-Jones (The Chair); Lord Booth-Smith

Found: Monday 17 March 2025 3.35 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Clement-Jones (The Chair); Lord Booth-Smith