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Britain’s independent bodies lack accountability and some have become a “law unto themselves”, the new chairman of parliament’s public administration committee has warned, as he plans an investigation into dozens of quangos.

Conservative MP and former minister Simon Hoare told the Financial Times that the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee would examine NHS England, Highways England and other bodies which operate outside direct ministerial control.

The inquiry would examine which bodies “are broken” and “which require either total destruction or rebuilding from scratch”, Hoare said, warning that parts of daily life had been “transferred to organisms that do not are not accountable either through the ballot box or through the ballot boxes.” the shipping box.”

He added: “At the moment I think a lot of them are. . . almost a law in itself. . . I think the balance is a little off.

In his first interview since being elected president, Hoare complained that officials had been unable to confirm the exact number of quangos in operation.

The last audit, four years ago, identified 295 such bodies, which play a wide variety of roles in state administration, from advising government to providing and regulating services and organizations. public.

This figure of 295 included 38 executive agencies, such as the Companies Registrar’s House, the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

It involved 237 non-ministerial public bodies, such as the British Council, the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive. The count also included 20 non-ministerial departments, such as the Crown Prosecution Service, the Charity Commission and the Food Standards Agency.

Hoare said successive Conservative and Labor governments had intended to outsource responsibility for key areas of policy, regulation and enforcement by creating these bodies, which report to sponsoring departments in Whitehall but have tend to enjoy a greater degree of independence from government control.

Although “passing the buck is not a new political phenomenon”, Hoare said the move threatened political retaliation: he suggested that voters are ignoring the fact that it is the independent bodies (ALBs) which are responsible for poor performance and instead blame the government. of the day.

Britons should be “alarmed by the lack of accountability and transparency” of many BLAs and that ministers “cannot direct” their activities, he said. In a warning to politicians, he added: “Trust is very easily bruised and broken, and trust in governance and politics is at a very low point. »

Hoare said his cross-party commission would examine whether some BLAs were “still needed”, “evolving fast enough”, “analog in the digital age” and whether they had enough “teeth” to fulfill their functions.

More rigorous monitoring is needed to ensure good performance, he suggested. But he also indicated that improvement was possible, citing the “huge change” from the Passport Office and the DVLA after heavy criticism over backlogs and inefficiency in the wake of the pandemic.

Government figures privately indicate that the future of some ALBs could be affected by the spending review, which is expected to be made public in spring next year.

While the Cabinet Office provides advice on their creation and oversight, critics have long complained about the accountability, transparency and value for money of ALBs.

They became a target for savings during the 2010-2015 Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, which cut 300 during its “bonfire of the quangos”. Subsequent Conservative administrations have also suggested that their numbers could be reduced further to save money.

A government spokesperson said: “We are fully focused on improving efficiency in government, rebuilding our public services and achieving sustainable economic growth. It is normal for people to expect public bodies to be held accountable, to operate effectively and to be aligned with government priorities.”