2016 UK quango reforms

Following the 2014 United Kingdom general election, the UK Government announced plans to curb public spending through the abolition of a large number of quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations (quangos). On 23 May 2015, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne unveiled a plan to reduce the budget deficit by abolishing or merging many quangos. This was styled in the national press as a "bonfire of the quangos", making reference to Girolamo Savonarola's religiously inspired Bonfire of the Vanities ("falò delle vanità"). The cuts and closures received criticism in some quarters, but was generally welcomed by the business community.

Quangos to be abolished

 * 1) Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
 * 2) Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Arbitration Tribunal
 * 3) British Shipbuilders
 * 4) Low Pay Commission
 * 5) Ofsted (will be carried out by ISI)
 * 6) Independent Complaints Secretariat (will be carried out by the Health Ombudsman)
 * 7) National Lottery Commission (will be carried out by the Gambling Commission)
 * 8) UK Commission for Employment and Skills
 * 9) Union Modernisation Fund
 * 10) Capacitybuilders
 * 11) Central Office of Information (its remaining functions transferred to the Cabinet Office)
 * 12) Commission for the Compact (will be carried out by Compact Voice and the Cabinet Office)
 * 13) Government Strategic Marketing Advisory Board
 * 14) National School of Government
 * 15) Office for Civil Society Advisory Body
 * 16) Security Commission (For any breach of security the Government will consider the need for an inquiry),
 * 17) Advisory Panel for the Local Innovation Awards Scheme
 * 18) Advisory Panel on Standards for the Planning Inspectorate
 * 19) Audit Commission (Disband and transfer audit practice into private not-for-profit or voluntary ownership),
 * 20) Housing Ombudsman (will be carried out by the The Property Ombudsman)
 * 21) Firebuy (transferred procurement functions to alternative suppliers, and residual functions to department),
 * 22) Infrastructure Planning Commission (a Major Infrastructure Planning Unit within the Planning Inspectorate is created)
 * 23) London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (will be carried out by the London Development Agency)
 * 24) National Housing and Planning Advice Unit
 * 25) National Tenant Voice
 * 26) Olympic Park Legacy Company
 * 27) Rent Assessment Panels / Residential Property Tribunal Service (jurisdiction transferred into MoJ’s tribunal service)
 * 28) Standards Board for England
 * 29) Tenant Services Authority
 * 30) Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation
 * 31) Regional Development Agencies
 * 32) Valuation Tribunal Service (functions transferred into MoJs tribunal service)
 * 33) Valuation Tribunal for England (jurisdiction transferred into MoJ’s tribunal service)
 * 34) West Northamptonshire Development Corporation
 * 35) Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites
 * 36) Advisory Committee on National Historic Ships
 * 37) Advisory Council on Libraries
 * 38) Consumer Futures (merged into Citizens Advice)
 * 39) SITPRO Ltd
 * 40) Capital for Enterprise Limited (will be carried out by the British Business Bank)
 * 41) Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (merged into the Design Council)
 * 42) Football Licensing Authority
 * 43) Competition Appeals Tribunal (functions transferred into MoJs tribunal service)
 * 44) Copyright Tribunal (functions transferred into MoJs tribunal service)
 * 45) Competition Service (functions transferred into MoJs tribunal service)
 * 46) Hearing Aid Council (reformed functions transferred to Health Professions Council)
 * 47) Homes and Communities Agency (is transferred to regional development agencies)
 * 48) Universities Funding Council (merged with Higher Education Funding Council for England and Office for Fair Access to created Office for Students)
 * 49) Office for Fair Access (merged with Higher Education Funding Council for England and Universities Funding Council to created Office for Students)
 * 50) Higher Education Funding Council for England (merged with Office for Fair Access and Universities Funding Council to created Office for Students)
 * 51) National Measurement and Regulation Office (merged with Better Regulation Delivery Office to form Regulatory Delivery)
 * 52) Better Regulation Delivery Office (merged with National Measurement and Regulation Office to form Regulatory Delivery).
 * 53) Regulatory Delivery (replaced by Office for Product Safety and Standards)
 * 54) Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy (merged with the Intellectual Property Office)
 * 55) Central Arbitration Committee and Certification Office is merged
 * 56) Competition Commission (merged with Office of Fair Trading to create Competition and Markets Authority)
 * 57) Office of Fair Trading (merged with Competition Commission to create Competition and Markets Authority)
 * 58) Horserace Betting Levy Appeal Tribunal and Horserace Betting Levy Board
 * 59) Legal Deposit Advisory Panel
 * 60) Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (taken over by Arts Council England)
 * 61) National Heritage Memorial Fund (taken over by the English Heritage)
 * 62) Olympic Delivery Authority and Olympic Lottery Distributor
 * 63) Public Lending Right
 * 64) UK Film Council (many of its functions passing to the British Film Institute)
 * 65) Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies
 * 66) Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) (transferred to the Competition and Markets Authority)
 * 67) Nuclear Liabilities Fund
 * 68) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (Magnox already does the roles and responsibilities that the NDA does)
 * 69) Renewables Advisory Board
 * 70) UK Chemical Weapons Convention National Authority Advisory Committee
 * 71) Advisory Committee on Organic Standards
 * 72) Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances (Merged with Advisory Committee on Packaging and Advisory Committee on Pesticides and reconstituted as a merged committee of experts)
 * 73) Advisory Committee on Packaging and Advisory Committee on Pesticides (Merged with Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances and reconstituted as a merged committee of experts)
 * 74) Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees
 * 75) Agricultural Land Tribunal (jurisdiction transferred into MoJ’s tribunal service)
 * 76) Agricultural Wages Board
 * 77) Agricultural Wages Committees
 * 78) Committee on Climate Change
 * 79) Air Quality Expert Group (Reconstituted as a committee of experts)
 * 80) Animal Health and Welfare Strategy England Implementation Group
 * 81) British Waterways (functions transferred to the Canal & River Trust which is now a not-for-profit independent registered charity)
 * 82) Commission for Rural Communities
 * 83) Committee on Agricultural Valuation
 * 84) Commons Commissioners
 * 85) Consumer Council for Water (all its functions transferred to Ofwat)
 * 86) Drinking Water Inspectorate (all its functions transferred to Ofwat)
 * 87) Darwin Advisory Committee (reconstituted as a committee of experts)
 * 88) Countryside Council for Wales (Natural England) (merged with the FC and EA to create Natural Resources Britain)
 * 89) Environment Agency (EA) (merged with the FC, CC for Wales and NE to create Natural Resources Britain)
 * 90) Forestry Commission (FC) (merged with the EA, CC for Wales and NE to create Natural Resources Britain)
 * 91) GLAA (merged with HM Revenue and Customs' National Minimum Wage unit and Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate unit into 1 agency tackling labour exploitation and enforcing workers' rights)
 * 92) HM Revenue and Customs' National Minimum Wage unit (merged with GLAA and Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate unit into 1 agency tackling labour exploitation and enforcing workers' rights)
 * 93) The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (merged with GLAA and HM Revenue and Customs' National Minimum Wage unit into 1 agency tackling labour exploitation and enforcing workers' rights)
 * 94) Inland Waterways Advisory Council
 * 95) National Standing Committee on Farm Animal Genetic Resources (Reconstituted as a committee of experts)
 * 96) Pesticide Residues Committee (Reconstituted as a committee of experts)
 * 97) Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal (jurisdiction transferred into MoJ’s tribunal service)
 * 98) Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
 * 99) Sea Fish Industry Authority (all its functions transferred to the Food Standards Agency)
 * 100) Sea Fish Licence Tribunal (jurisdiction transferred into MoJ’s tribunal service)
 * 101) Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee
 * 102) Sustainable Development Commission
 * 103) Veterinary Residues Committee (Reconstituted as a committee of experts)
 * 104) Zoos Forum (Reconstituted as a committee of experts)
 * 105) British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
 * 106) General Teaching Council for England
 * 107) National College for Teaching and Leadership
 * 108) Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy
 * 109) Partnerships for Schools (Merged into the Education and Skills Funding Agency)
 * 110) Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) (merged into QCDA)
 * 111) Children's Food Trust
 * 112) School Support Staff Negotiating Body
 * 113) Teachers TV Board of Governors
 * 114) Training and Development Agency for Schools
 * 115) Education Funding Agency (EFA) (merged with the SFA and YPLA to create Education and Skills Funding Agency)
 * 116) Skills Funding Agency (SFA) (merged with the EFA and YPLA to create Education and Skills Funding Agency)
 * 117) Young People's Learning Agency (merged with the EFA and SFA to create Education and Skills Funding Agency)
 * 118) Education and Skills Funding Agency (numerous schools were either owned by privately held company or a charitable trust)
 * 119) Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
 * 120) Advisory Board on the Registration of Homeopathic Products (Reconstitute as a Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) committee of experts)
 * 121) Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 122) Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 123) Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 124) Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 125) Advisory Group on Hepatitis (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 126) Alcohol Education and Research Council (merged into Alcohol Change UK)
 * 127) Appointments Commission
 * 128) Committee on Carcogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 129) Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 130) Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 131) Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 132) Committee on the Safety of Devices (Reconstitute as a Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) committee of experts)
 * 133) Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 134) Gene Therapy Advisory Committee
 * 135) General Social Care Council (all its functions transferred to the Health Professions Council)
 * 136) Genetics and Insurance Committee
 * 137) Health Protection Agency (all its functions transferred to Public Health England)
 * 138) Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee (Reconstitute as a Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) committee of experts)
 * 139) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
 * 140) Human Genetics Commission (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 141) Human Tissue Authority (merged into NHS Blood and Transplant to become NHS Blood, Tissue and Transplant)
 * 142) Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV (transferred to Stop AIDS Campaign which is a private non government company)
 * 143) NHS Employers
 * 144) Independent Review Panel for the Classification of Borderline Products (Reconstitute as a Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) committee of experts)
 * 145) Independent Review panel on the Advertising of Medicines (Reconstitute as a Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) committee of experts)
 * 146) Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations (Reconstitute as a Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) committee of experts)
 * 147) Monitor (merged to create NHS England)
 * 148) NHS Trust Development Authority (merged to create NHS England)
 * 149) Patient Safety (merged to create NHS England)
 * 150) National Reporting and Learning System (merged to create NHS England)
 * 151) Advancing Change Team and Intensive Support Teams (merged to create NHS England)
 * 152) National Information Governance Board for Health and Social Care (Functions with respect to research transferred to the NHS Research Authority, providing advice and guidance to NHS England bodies and some other functions merged into CQC)
 * 153) National Information Board (functions transferred to NHS Digital)
 * 154) National Joint Registry Steering Committee (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 155) NHS Pay Review Body
 * 156) Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (Reconstitute as a Department of Health committee of experts)
 * 157) Independent Reconfiguration Panel (integrated into NHS England)
 * 158) Public Health England (The science and researches all out-sourced to universities)
 * 159) Health Research Authority (all its functions transferred to the Medical Research Council)
 * 160) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (all its functions transferred to the Medical Research Council)
 * 161) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (merged with MHRA, BPC and Commission on Human Medicines  to form a single organisation for approving Medicines and Technology called Approving Medicines and Technology Agency. Its functions relating to social care is moved to the Social Care Agency)
 * 162) British Pharmacopoeia Commission (merged with NICE, Commission on Human Medicines and MHRA  to form a single organisation for approving Medicines and Technology called Approving Medicines and Technology Agency)
 * 163) Commission on Human Medicines (merged with NICE, BPC and MHRA to form a single organisation for approving Medicines and Technology called Approving Medicines and Technology Agency)
 * 164) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (merged with NICE, BPC and Commission on Human Medicines to form a single organisation for approving Medicines and Technology called Approving Medicines and Technology Agency)
 * 165) Caribbean Board
 * 166) Foreign Compensation Commission
 * 167) Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine
 * 168) Great Britain China Centre
 * 169) The Westminster Foundation for Democracy
 * 170) British Council
 * 171) UK India Round Table
 * 172) Independent Commission for Aid Impact
 * 173) Official Development Assistance
 * 174) Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace
 * 175) Administrative Justice and Tribunal Council
 * 176) Advisory Council on Historical Manuscripts (merged into Advisory Council on National Records and Archives)
 * 177) Advisory Council on Public Records (merged into Advisory Council on National Records and Archives)
 * 178) Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information
 * 179) Chief Coroner of England and Wales / Chief Coroner’s Office (Certain functions transferred to the Lord Chief Justice)
 * 180) Courts Boards
 * 181) Crown Court Rule Committee (functions transferred to the Lord Chief Justice)
 * 182) Inspectorate of Court Administration
 * 183) Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman (merged into the Judicial Appointments Commission)
 * 184) Legal Services Commission (replaced with Legal Aid Agency)
 * 185) Office for Legal Complaints
 * 186) Crown Prosecution Service (prosecutorial powers return to police forces and their own prosecution lawyers)
 * 187) Magistrates’ Courts Rule Committee
 * 188) Public Guardian Board
 * 189) Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (merged into Crown Prosecution Service)
 * 190) Victim's Advisory Panel
 * 191) Youth Justice Board for England and Wales
 * 192) Independent Safeguarding Authority
 * 193) National Policing Improvement Agency (replaced with the College of Policing, a private company limited by guarantee)
 * 194) Office of Surveillance Commissioners (was replaced by Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office)
 * 195) Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
 * 196) Police Advisory Board (merged with Police Negotiating Board and Police Arbitration Tribunal)
 * 197) Police Negotiating Board (merged with Police Arbitration Tribunal and Police Advisory Board)
 * 198) Police Arbitration Tribunal (merged with Police Negotiating Board and Police Advisory Board)
 * 199) Serious Organised Crime Agency (all its functions merged into the National Crime Agency)
 * 200) Police Central e-Crime Unit (merged into the National Cyber Crime Unit)
 * 201) Equality and Human Rights Commission
 * 202) Women’s National Commission
 * 203) Children's Commissioner for England (all its functions transfer to Children's Rights Alliance, a non-governmental self-funding pressure group)
 * 204) Animal Welfare Advisory Committee
 * 205) National Employer Advisory Board (Reconstitute into a committee of experts)
 * 206) BRB (Residuary) Limited
 * 207) Commission for Integrated Transport
 * 208) Cycling England
 * 209) Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee
 * 210) Northern Lighthouse Board (merged into Trinity House, ensign adopted)
 * 211) Railway Heritage Committee
 * 212) Renewable Fuels Agency
 * 213) Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (superseded by Child Maintenance Group)
 * 214) Disability Employment Advisory Committee (Transferred to Equality 2025)
 * 215) Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board
 * 216) Independent Living Fund
 * 217) Pensions Ombudsman and Pensions Protection Fund Ombudsman (merged to form a single tribunal NDPB)
 * 218) Office for Civil Society (its functions, namely to encourage “social action and [to build] social capital” is outsourced to private and voluntary sectors.)
 * 219) Wilton Park
 * 220) British Film Institute
 * 221) High Speed 2 Ltd (HS2)
 * 222) Jobcentre Plus
 * 223) Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee
 * 224) Animals in Science Committee
 * 225) Green Investment Group
 * 226) Nuclear Liabilities Fund (functions transferred to Sellafield Ltd)
 * 227) British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (Broken up, succeeded by British Energy for newer nuclear reactors, Westinghouse Electric Company for US power stations and Sellafield Ltd for decommissioning)
 * 228) Shareholder Executive
 * 229) Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
 * 230) London City Airport (closed, turned into carbon neutral community to be a medium-high density neighbourhood which will rely on renewable energy and a district energy sharing system)
 * 231) Sports Grounds Safety Authority (vast majority of sports grounds already have suitable safety measures and new planning applications have to comply with existing safety standards.)

Quangos to be made into self-funding non-governmental / privatized

 * 1) UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) (became a not-for-profit private limited company by guarantee)
 * 2) Main Honours Advisory Committee (will remain as an advisory group)
 * 3) Community Development Foundation (became a social enterprise)
 * 4) The Leasehold Advisory Service
 * 5) All the Arts Council
 * 6) Engineering Construction Industry Training
 * 7) Covent Garden Market Authority (sold to St. Modwen Properties)
 * 8) Construction Industry Training Board
 * 9) Film Industry Training Board
 * 10) The Royal Mail Group (made into a private company limited by shares)
 * 11) British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and BBC World Service (sold to BBC Worldwide Ltd)
 * 12) Channel Four Television Corporation (sold to RTL Group)
 * 13) The National Lottery (sold to the Camelot Group)
 * 14) Big Lottery Fund (sold to the Camelot Group)
 * 15) National Lottery Heritage Fund (sold to the Camelot Group)
 * 16) British Library (became private limited company by guarantee)
 * 17) Design Council (made into a not-for-profit independent registered charity)
 * 18) NESTA (made into a not-for-profit independent registered charity)
 * 19) Churches Conservation Trust (made into a not-for-profit independent registered charity)
 * 20) Historic Royal Palaces (made into a not-for-profit independent registered charity)
 * 21) UK Research and Innovation (made into a not-for-profit independent registered charity)
 * 22) Horserace Totalisator Board (transferred ownership to UK Tote Group)
 * 23) All Museums and Galleries across Britain, RAF Museum, National Museum of the Royal Navy and National Army Museum (all transferred ownership to Museums Association which became a holding group)
 * 24) Theatres Trust (made into a not-for-profit independent registered charity)
 * 25) VisitBritain and Visit England (both became private limited company by guarantee)
 * 26) Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (became private limited company by guarantee)
 * 27) British Wool Marketing Board (made into a not-for-profit independent registered charity)
 * 28) Law Commission (made into a not-for-profit independent self-funding pressure group)
 * 29) Broads Authority (made into a not-for-profit independent registered charity)
 * 30) Internal Drainage Boards (decentralized to regional development agencies)
 * 31) National Forest Company (became private limited company by guarantee)
 * 32) National Parks Authorities (became private limited company by guarantee)
 * 33) English Institute of Sport (became private limited company by guarantee)
 * 34) The Royal Parks (became private limited company by guarantee)
 * 35) UK Sport (became private limited company by guarantee)
 * 36) British Business Bank (made non-governmental)
 * 37) Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (transferred ownership to the National Trust)
 * 38) Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (made into a not-for-profit independent registered charity)
 * 39) CDC Group (sold to Actis Capital)
 * 40) Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence
 * 41) Directly Operated Railways Ltd (sold to Interfleet Technology and Arup Group)
 * 42) London and Continental Railways (floated on the London Stock Exchange)
 * 43) Museum of London Group (floated on the London Stock Exchange)
 * 44) Remploy (sold to US service provider Maximus (70%) and an employee trust (30%))
 * 45) Carbon Trust
 * 46) Waste & Resources Action Programme
 * 47) Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
 * 48) Architects Registration Board (made into a independent, non-governmental not-for-profit private limited company by guarantee)
 * 49) National Employment Savings Trust (made independent and non-governmental)
 * 50) Government Pipelines and Storage System (GPSS) (sold to BP)
 * 51) Behavioural Insights Team (sold in a joint venture. 50% Nesta and 50% the team's employees)
 * 52) Flood Re
 * 53) Landmark Mortgages (sold to Cerberus Capital Management)
 * 54) NATS Holdings (made into a privately run, not-for-profit corporation)
 * 55) Cardiff Airport (sold to TBI plc)
 * 56) Luton Airport (sold to Luton Airport Ltd)
 * 57) Teesside International Airport (sold to the Stobart Group)
 * 58) Newquay Airport (sold to the Cornwall Airport Ltd.)
 * 59) St Mary's Airport, Isles of Scilly (sold to the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company)
 * 60) Birmingham Airport (sold its stake to employees)
 * 61) Anglesey Airport (sold its stake to RAF Valley)
 * 62) Manchester Airport Holdings
 * 63) National Nuclear Laboratory (made into a not-for-profit, non governmental independent charity)
 * 64) Royal Bank of Scotland Group (floated on the London Stock Exchange)
 * 65) Post Office Ltd (made into a private company limited by shares)
 * 66) Bradford & Bingley (floated on the London Stock Exchange)
 * 67) Urenco Group (made into a private company limited by shares)
 * 68) East West Rail
 * 69) Working Links (sold to Ernst & Young)