Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from (a) the abolition of 16 public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility and (b) the change in function of the Homes and Communities Agency.
Answer
On 16 March 2011 the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, issued a written ministerial statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies' reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.The Department for Communities and Local Government is not absorbing any functions from the arm's length bodies being closed or reformed. Details of the estimated savings in the administrative budgets of individual Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) arm's length bodies were published on the DCLG website at:"http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/newsroom/1865652"Although technically not an arm's length body, most of the functions of the Government Office Network have been discontinued: a limited number of functions have been transferred to Departments, including this Department.