Levy board escapes ‘bonfire of the quangos’
Agricultural levy bodies face further uncertainty despite escaping the axe in the government’s “bonfire of the quangos”.
The future of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is “under consideration”, said the government on Thursday (14 October).
The board is included in a 28-page Cabinet Office document outlining government plans for some 901 quangos, committees and other public bodies.
Some 192 bodies will be scrapped, with a further 188 merged and another 171 substantially reformed.
In total, the number of quangos will be cut from 901 to 648, with the future of another 40 bodies – including the levy board – still under consideration.
Rather than abolish the board, ministers will now initiate a debate with the industry to decide its future.
This will include a number of non-public sector options.
Although the board is classified as a non-departmental public body, less than 5% of its funding comes from public money.
The board is currently almost wholly funded by farmers and the wider industry through statutory levies.
It is understood that compulsory levies paid by farmer would be retained under the various different models being considered.
A board spokesman said the decision not to scrap the body underlined its pivotal role in improving agricultural efficiency and competitiveness.
“We view this as an exciting opportunity which could unfetter us from some government controls,” he told Farmers Weekly.
This could both save money and make it easier to promote British food and farming, the spokesman suggested.
European Union state aid rules, for example, currently prohibited promotions focusing on the country-of-origin of food.
And non-public sector status could lift the additional administrative burden imposed by public sector reporting rules.
The full list of DEFRA bodies considered by this review is provided below:
| Public Body | Proposed Reforms |
| Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances | No longer an NDPB – Reconstitute as a committee of experts |
| Advisory Committee on Organic Standards | No longer an NDPB – Abolish body and functions |
| Advisory Committee on Packaging | No longer an NDPB – Reconstitute as a committee of experts |
| Advisory Committee on Pesticides | No longer an NDPB – Reconstitute as a committee of experts |
| Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment | Retain – Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of Government |
| Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board | Under consideration – Initiate debate with industry about future of body, including non-public sector options |
| Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees (x16) | No longer an NDPB – Abolish bodies and functions, as previously announced |
| Agricultural Land Tribunal | Under consideration – Currently considering, by the end of 2010, scope to transfer jurisdiction of this tribunal into MoJ’s tribunal service |
| Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales | No longer an NDPB – Abolish and bring agricultural workers under national minimum wages legislation, as previously announced |
| Agricultural Wages Committees (x15) | No longer an NDPB – Abolish bodies and functions, as previously announced |
| Air Quality Expert Group | No longer an NDPB – Reconstitute as a committee of experts |
| Animal Health and Welfare Strategy England Implementation Group | No longer an NDPB – Abolish body and functions |
| British Waterways | No longer a Public Corporation – Abolish as a public corporation in England and Wales and create a new waterways charity – similar to a National Trust for the waterways |
| British Wool Marketing Board | Retain – Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of Government |
| Broads Authority | Retain – Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of Government; but review governance and increase accountability |
| Commission for Rural Communities | No longer an NDPB – Abolish and reinforce Government’s capacity to reflect rural interests in policies and programmes, as previously announced |
| Committee on Agricultural Valuation | No longer an NDPB – Abolish body and functions, as previously announced |
| Commons Commissioners | No longer an NDPB – Abolish body and functions, as previously announced |
| Consumer Council for Water | Under consideration – Decision to be taken as part of OFWAT review launched on 26 August. Outcome of the review will be set out in the Water White Paper, due for publication in June 2011 |
| Covent Garden Market Authority | Retain – Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of Government |
| Darwin Advisory Committee | No longer an NDPB – Reconstitute as a committee of experts |
| Environment Agency | Retain and substantially reform – Reform through structural, process and cultural change to become a more efficient and customer focused organisation; and clarify accountabilities. Further announcements after the spending review. The Environment Agency in Wales may move to form part of a WAG Environmental Body. |
| Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards | No longer an NDPB – Abolish body and functions |
| Farm Animal Welfare Council | No longer an NDPB – Reconstitute as a committee of experts |
| Food from Britain | No longer an NDPB – Abolish body and functions |
| Forestry Commission | Retain and substantially reform – Details of reform will be set out by Defra later in the autumn as part of the Government’s strategic approach to forestry in England. The Forestry Commission in Wales may move to form part of a WAG Environmental Body. |
| Gangmasters Licensing Authority | Retain – Retain on grounds of impartiality |
| Independent Agricultural Appeals Panel | Retain – Retain on grounds of impartiality |
| Inland Waterways Advisory Council | No longer an NDPB – Abolish body and functions, as previously announced |
| Internal Drainage Boards (x 160) | Retain and substantially reform – Improve efficiency and accountability, amend functions, and increase the involvement of local communities |
| Joint Nature Conservation Committee | Retain – Retain on grounds of impartiality |
| Marine Management Organisation | Retain – Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of government |
| National Forest Company | Retain – Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of government |
| National Parks Authorities (x9) | Retain – Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of government; but review governance and increase accountability |
| National Standing Committee on Farm Animal Genetic Resources | No longer an NDPB – Reconstitute as a committee of experts |
| Natural England | Retain and substantially reform – Reform through structural, process and cultural change to become a more efficient and customer focused organisation; and clarify accountabilities. Further announcements after the spending review |
| OFWAT | Retain – Review launched 26 August to ensure it is fit for future challenges. The outcome of the review will be set out in the Water White Paper, due for publication in June 2011 |
| Pesticide Residues Committee | No longer an NDPB – Reconstitute as a committee of experts |
| Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal | Under consideration – Currently considering, by the end of 2010, scope to transfer jurisdiction of this tribunal into MoJ’s tribunal service |
| Royal Botanic Gardens Kew | Retain – Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of Government |
| Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution | No longer an NDPB – Abolish body and functions as previously announced |
| Science Advisory Council | Retain – Retain on grounds of independence, and broaden remit to strengthen co-ordination of all DEFRA science advice |
| Sea Fish Industry Authority | Retain – Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of Government |
| Sea Fish Licence Tribunal | Under consideration – Currently considering, by the end of 2010, scope to transfer jurisdiction of this tribunal into MoJ’s tribunal service |
| Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee | No longer an NDPB – Abolish body and transfer functions to Department of Health |
| Sustainable Development Commission | Under consideration – Future of body currently being considered in light of DEFRA’s decision to withdraw funding at end of 2010/11; as previously announced |
| Veterinary Products Committee | Retain – Retain on grounds of performing a technical function which should remain independent of Government |
| Veterinary Residues Committee | No longer an NDPB – Reconstitute as a committee of experts |
| Zoos Forum | No longer an NDPB – Reconstitute as a committee of experts |