Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations were abolished in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

In 2010 the Coalition pledged to reduce the number and cost of public bodies. Our Public Bodies Reform Programme is the largest restructuring of public bodies in a generation. It will make the landscape smaller, more accountable, and will offer better value for money to the public.

By April 2011 the reforms brought about by the programme had reduced the number of public bodies by 46. During 2011-2012 the numbers reduced by a further 56. To date over 185 public bodies have been abolished and more than 165 have been merged into fewer than 70.

The total number of public bodies has reduced by over 285.