Quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations (quangos) are funded by taxpayers but not directly controlled by the central government.[1] They range from non-ministerial departments that regulate various sectors, to public corporations that deliver public services, to smaller expert committees that provide advice. These include organisations such as HM Revenue and Customs, HM Prisons and Probation Service, NHS England and the BBC which manage substantial budgets and hold vast sway over many aspects of taxpayers’ everyday lives. What they all have in common is minimal ministerial direction, meaning they face less scrutiny and accountability.[2]
The new Labour government is set to create or overhaul at least 17 public bodies,[3] such as the Fair Work Agency, Armed Forces Commissioner and a football regulator. It is imperative that the leadership of new and existing quangos are accountable and that they are representative of the public. Warning that arm’s-length bodies (ALBs) have become a “law unto themselves”, the chair of the public administration committee announced plans for an inquiry into those organisations in November 2024.[4]
This research paper updates previous work carried out by the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) in 2020,[5] which examined the membership, attendance and remuneration of quango boards in 2018-19, with data from 2022-23.
READ THE FULL RESEARCH
Key findings
- There were at least 4,605 positions on the boards of 398 quangos in 2022-23, an increase of 6 per cent from 2018-19. Of this, 3,824 positions were non-executive.
- From 2018-19 to 2022-23, at least 17 new quangos were established.
- At least 285 quango board members sat on more than one board in 2022-23. This included:
- one person who sat on nine boards,
- one person who sat on six boards,
- five people who sat on four boards,
- 31 who sat on three boards,
- and 247 who sat on two boards.
- Members were collectively eligible to attend 21,332 board meetings in 2022-23, of which 10.5 per cent or 2,230 were missed.[6]
-
Martin Spencer sat on nine quango boards in 2022-23, the most of any individual.
- This included being a non-executive board member, director, or commissioner for the following organisations: Ofsted, the Civil Service Commission, Companies House, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, the Education and Skills Funding Agency, the Legal Ombudsman, NHS Counter Fraud Authority, and Submarine Delivery Agency.
- Of the 65 meetings he was eligible to attend in 2022-23, he missed 18, or 28 per cent.
- His total remuneration for holding these positions in 2022-23 was £145,000.
-
Emir Feisal sat on six quango boards in 2022-23, the second most of any individual.
- This included being a non-executive board member, director, or commissioner for the following organisations: the Serious Fraud Office, the British Transport Police Authority, Companies House, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, the Judicial Appointments Commission and the Pensions Ombudsman.
- He was eligible to attend 32 meetings at four of these organisations in 2022-23, of which he attended 23, missing 28 per cent.
- His total remuneration for holding these positions in 2022-23 was £70,500.
- Remuneration of all quango board members in 2022-23 was at least £125.8 million, with remuneration for non-executive members comprising £27.5 million of this sum.
- In 2022-23, the average remuneration for a non-executive main board chair position was £44,694, while the average remuneration for a non-executive board member position (excluding main board chairs) was £11,052.
- Peter Hendy, chair of Network Rail, received £316,000 in total remuneration in 2022-23, the highest of any non-executive board member.
- Caroline Ackah and Bill Pauley missed the most meetings in a single role, at nine. Both were eligible to attend 11 meetings as non-executive board members for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. They attended just two.
SEE THE FULL DATASET
[1] BBC, Q&A: What is a quango?, 14 Oct 2010, www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11405840, (accessed 19 July 2024).
[2] Norrie, R., The failing quango state, Civitas, April 2023, pp.6-7.
[3] Mason, R., Labour’s new public bodies are likely to come at a high cost, thinktank finds, The Guardian, 21 November 2024.
[4] Fisher, L., Some UK quangos are ‘a law unto themselves’, Commons committee chair warns, Financial Times, 22 November 2024.
[5] Friend, D., Members of the Board, TaxPayers’ Alliance, October 2020, www.taxpayersalliance.com/members_of_the_board_2020, (accessed 18 July 2024).
[6] Attendance figure only includes main board meetings and not meetings of sub-committees.