Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the guidance entitled the approvals process for the creation of new arm's-length bodies, published on 15 March 2018, whether the Cabinet Office Public Bodies Team assessed the Warm Homes Agency against the requirement that the creation of a new arms length body should only be considered as a last resort; whether the Department provided evidence that alternative delivery models were considered; and which of the tests in chapter 2 of that guidance it overcame.

The formation of the Warm Homes Agency is still under consideration and will be announced in due course. Subject to agreement, the WHA will consolidate the existing delivery landscape by closing the existing body, Salix, and integrating its functions, alongside relevant roles from DESNZ and Ofgem. This approach ensures there will be no net increase in the number of arm’s length bodies supporting the government's objective to rationalise delivery.