Oversight and accountability of Public Bodies continues to be examined by MPs
Tomorrow, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) will hold the next evidence session of its inquiry into the governance of Public Bodies.
Meeting details
In the past, governments have seen the need for certain functions to be performed outside of ministerial departments which has led to the creation of Public Bodies. PACAC’s inquiry is looking at when these are set up and closed down, as well as how they are held to account and when ministers can intervene.
In this week’s session, MPs will question Joe Hill, the Policy Director of Re: State, which is a think tank specialising in public service reform.
In its written evidence to the Committee, Re:State included a summary of interviews with officials who described understanding the remit of public bodies as a “nightmare”. In light of this, the Committee is likely to explore whether sponsor departments have sufficient oversight and accountability of public bodies, and how effective existing review programmes are.
MPs may also ask when and how public bodies can be used most effectively, and the impact of abolishing and merging them.