Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 10 April (HL6032), what estimate they have made of the annual cost of the Animal Welfare Advisory Body.

Departments are responsible for assessing the potential costs of proposed new arms length bodies as part of their business case development. The Cabinet Office does not centrally estimate costs for departments’ proposals.

The Government has conducted a full line-by-line Spending Review which covered the costs of proposed and existing ALBs to ensure value for money is being delivered for the taxpayer.

On 6 April, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a full review of all ALBs, including new ALB proposals, to drive efficiency and reduce bureaucracy and duplication as part of Prime Minister’s Plan for Change. This review is ongoing. Any future decision to set up any new ALBs would need to follow the joint HMT and Cabinet Office approval process for new bodies.