Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, in what circumstances new public bodies do not have to meet the last resort test in the Approvals Process guidance for new Arm's Length Bodies.

An ALB needs to pass at least one of three tests: (1) it is a technical function that requires external expertise (2) it needs to be delivered with political impartiality, or (3) it needs to be delivered independently from Ministers to establish facts and figures with integrity. The Cabinet Office makes an assessment based on the information provided by the department.