Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled The Approvals Process for the Creation of New Arm’s-Length Bodies, whether the Cabinet Office Public Bodies Team assessed Skills England against the requirement that the creation of a new ALB should only be considered as a last resort; whether the department provided evidence that alternative delivery models such as enhancing an existing body, executive agency, or departmental function were considered; and which of the three tests outlined in chapter 2 of that guidance it overcame.

The Department for Education is currently working through the approval process to establish Skills England as an Arm’s Length Body. The completion of business cases as part of this process considers viable delivery mechanisms and the three tests.