BBC World Service. Noone uses that!
I guess I should have added a 
I was being sarcastic (I thought it would be obvious!) 
Chat Forum
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bye bye useless QUANGO's
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Posted 2 years ago #
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Well, if it means that a few thousand Guardian readers are going to have to switch to Tesco Value gnocchi then it's alright by me.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Tax evasion as noted by allthepies has recently been addressed, tax avoidance measures were announced at the time of the Budget (see paras 2.110 to 2.116 of the Red Book), they just did not get a lot of publicity.
As far as QUANGOs are concerned, the aim of the review is to see if there was anything gained by them being independent from government or whether they were providing a technical role that cannot be better carried out by government. If not, then they activities will be rolled into government departments. Whilst this will not necessarily save money in respect of staff providing front line service, where it can save money is in the "head office function" (i.e. finance, HR, PR etc). Merging QUANGOs will have similar effects and simplifying the distribution of sports funding must be a good thing. Much of what UK sport does is allocate its income to other public bodies - why do we need this extra step?
Posted 2 years ago # -
mefty - don't come here with your reasoned thought and agreement, you can't possibly fit in here!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Interesting mefty - I assumed when I hadn't heard anything about it, and when I wrote to my local Tory MP about it and he ignored the letter, that they weren't doing anything. That's encouraging, thanks.
Posted 2 years ago # -
So when the government are considering proposals for, say, air pollutants produced by industry, they will rely not on independent scientific advice but that provided in house?
And this will not be affected in any way by industry lobbyists?
Thinking Turner and Newall scenarios where industry controlled MP's put aside public good for industry good.
I personally think that independent advisors would be preferable in situations such as this.
Obviously I could be wrong but I get more cynical as I get older.
Posted 2 years ago # -
As mefty said nothing much will change a lot of the expertise will be brought in-house to a government department. I wonder what effect that will have on the labour related overheads.
Posted 2 years ago # -
IanMunro - Member
Anyone know why British Waterways is for the chop, but the Broads Authority is on the untouchable list?
Canals mainly in Labour areas, Broads a tory area?
mefty - Member
As far as QUANGOs are concerned, the aim of the review is to see if there was anything gained by them being independent from government or whether they were providing a technical role that cannot be better carried out by government. If not, then they activities will be rolled into government departments.
What? Many of them were created by the previous tory government because they would be more efficient outside of the Government.
I never thought I would hear mefty extol Public Sector as a beacon of cheapness and efficiency
Posted 2 years ago # -
The plan for us dangerousbeans is to be moved wholesale into the department of health, read into that what you will about independance.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Least it will be easier for them to shelve your findings if they don't agree with policy.
Posted 2 years ago # -
>Canals mainly in Labour areas, Broads a tory area?
LOL.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Student Loans Company. Oh great, that could get messy! Still got around £5k to go...
Posted 2 years ago # -
True!
Posted 2 years ago # -
I am not sure I am "extolling" etc. It is not as if we don't pay for them already.
As far as some of them being set up by the Tories, circumstances change, organisations evolve and drift away from their original purpose and even Tory governments get things wrong from time to time.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Also unfortunately for a proportion the jobs they do are required - sometimes by law eg. HEFA and the work they do will be just moved to another organisation. No cost saving.
Absorb role into existing government department, retain the front line staff doing the job they were already doing, transfer to existing government offices, get rid of the QUANGO's need for their own dedicated HR, salary, accounts, receptionists, headed notepaper and offices. Significant cost saving!
The clue in the problem with Quangos is in their name - Quasi-Autonomous. TJ, this isnt a private/public sector issue - QUANGO's are not private sector.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Posted 2 years ago #
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Jeez, don't you see? Once they remove all the quango's there'll be no one with an overseeing role, then they can do whatever they like to health, education, social services and there will be no one to stop them.
Useless Quangos? Dear God! how far off are you?? Why don't you tell us why they are all useless?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Agreed Zulu, but for some areas I think autonomy is quite important.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Zulu - the justification for setting most of them up was cost saving!
You guys are laughable.
The costs of the reorganisation and the redundancies will outstrip any savings is my guess - but they will be able to tell teh tory conference they have slain a dragon!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Absorb role into existing government department, retain the front line staff doing the job they were already doing, transfer to existing government offices, get rid of the QUANGO's need for their own dedicated HR, salary, accounts, receptionists, headed notepaper and offices. Significant cost saving!
700000 people are employed in 1200 quangos http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/24/bonfire-quangos-peoples getting rid of non essential quangos completely will save money but moving people between quangos and government departments will save very little money. The higher management of quangos will go - at vast pay offs - then where do you put the people in the government departments. Relocation expenses, extra building, have goverment departments excess HR/salary/acounts people etc....
Headed notepaper - that's going to cut the deficit.
Posted 2 years ago # -
CM, if they are regarded as "impartial" (there is a whole host of them that meet this criteria), they are to be retained, it is those that aren't that won't (if they are not "technical" either).
Posted 2 years ago # -
After yet another monumental display of complete and utter incompetence: so much so that you would wonder whether any of the staff there are actually capable of breathing, so little sentient activity is demonstrated by their correspondence; could I please nominate the DVLA to be abolished?
I would start a rant thread here, but I've just written them one to them, and can't be bothered wasting any more of my time on them.
Posted 2 years ago # -
So come on then, has anyone on here had any dealings with any of the QUANGOs due to be chopped, and if so do they now think "wow, I can't believe such a vital team is being wound up and closed".
Well?
For my part, I have dealt with several QUANGOs and have never been a fan of many of them or thought they were all efficient or effective.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I work for the Envrionment Agency. We're on the 'undecided' list. Ace.
A lot of very worried people here.Posted 2 years ago # -
So, according to the guardian there are 1200 quangos. The govt are having a bonfire of potentially 260... leaving almost 1000.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I can't see how they'd get rid of the EA (I'm an Environment Officer). Someones got to design build and maintain the entire country's flood defence systems, enforce waste legislation and stop the rivers turning back into hazardous septic drains full of industrial effluents.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Someones got to design build and maintain the entire country's flood defence systems, enforce waste legislation and stop the rivers turning back into hazardous septic drains full of industrial effluents.
Don't worry, I'm sure Z-11 has got a bucket and spade... Big Society, here we come!!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Robdob - nope - here will be more profits for Camerons pals if they don't have to be clean
Posted 2 years ago # -
We use the Independent Living Fund to access additional funds for people with large care packages. People with physical disabilities such as MS, Motor Neurone disease and complex learning disabilities. The ILF could - they announced a freeze on all but a select type of applications a few months ago - provide additional funding of up to £450 a week as long as the service user was in receipt of services from their local authority of over £320 per week.
WTF is going to be put in place? Councils are already facing unprecedented cuts which is bound to affect what we can provide to the vulnerable people the ILF assists. Rough times ahead
Posted 2 years ago # -
I think the government is probably doing the right thing here. They are getting rid of organisations that don't have an obvious or useful role, and will save a shitload of cash in doing so.
If it turns out say X% of those were actually required, they can set up new agencies that are more efficient and closer to what is required.
It's a neat way of sorting out wastage. I suspect the number actually required may not even break into double figures.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Sandy - yeah, organizations like the Independent Living Fund that don't have an obvious or useful role
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have had dealings with the environment agency and I can confirm they are a professional and diligent lot.
Posted 2 years ago # -
SF: I can't imagine deciding what organizations to cut can be an easy or pain free task, and there must have been some sort of consultation procss before announcing the cuts?
Maybe the work the ILF did will be taken up by a similar organisation?
Posted 2 years ago # -
I think the government is probably doing the right thing here. They are getting rid of organisations that don't have an obvious or useful role, and will save a shitload of cash in doing so.
If only that was what they were doing.
Posted 2 years ago # -
LOL I also work for the EA in ops delivery, imo the only way that we could go again if it was split back up. If they cut ops delivery back anymore they'll be no one left.
Posted 2 years ago #
Topic Closed
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