Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Brine and Lord Maude of Horsham

Wednesday 12th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

It is a bit surprising that the hon. Gentleman should raise that point, given that the last Government did absolutely nothing on this front. We inherited a position in which the Government did not even know how many public bodies there were, but by the time of the next election, we will have reduced the number by a third and cut the costs significantly: we will have cut the cost of quangos by £2.6 billion. I hope that, at some stage, the hon. Gentleman will reflect on the poor record of his own Government. We would be willing, at that stage, to accept his congratulations on what we have done.

[Steve Brine (Winchester) (Con)]

3. What the level of charitable giving was in the last year for which figures are available.