Arm’s-length Bodies

Baroness Andrews Excerpts

Thursday 1st May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Lord will not be surprised that I may have anticipated that that question might come from him. Given that he has given me the opportunity to raise the football regulator, I just want to put on record my congratulations to Port Vale on their promotion at the weekend. Many of us support clubs that are not in the Premier League, and there is huge support for the football regulator from grass-roots organisations.

With regard to which arm’s-length bodies will come next, we are asking every government department to review. Given that the Prime Minister made his speech announcing this policy only on 13 March this year, I am delighted that we have already announced the end of NHS England and, this week, the Valuation Office Agency. We are moving faster than the previous Government did and will continue to make sure that we have best value for money.

[Baroness Andrews (Lab)]

My Lords, can the Minister give the House an assurance that the review will be done with greater care, greater discrimination and greater consultation than the disastrous review of 2010 by the coalition Government? Then, a random, comprehensive list of arm’s-length bodies was put in a schedule to a Bill. This then had to be rescued by this House in all the work we did to mitigate damage and save that Government from themselves. Can the Minister give me an assurance that the essential work of public bodies will be recognised and contained?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My noble friend makes an excellent point. I assure your Lordships’ House that there is no way we will engage in this process with that approach. We want to make sure that we can deliver an agile Government, fit for purpose in the 21st century, with the people in the right places and the appropriate accountability to government departments. We want to do this in a way that respects and values the people who deliver our public services day in, day out. I put on record my thanks to the civil servants and public services doing everything to deliver for our country.