Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 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 the abolition of three public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility.
Answer
[holding answer 21 March 2011]: On 16 March 2011, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) issued a Written Ministerial Statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that departments estimated that cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion would flow from public bodies over the spending review period.I anticipate net overall administrative savings for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) of £70,000 per year over the spending review period as a result of the abolition of three of our public bodies. Overall administrative reductions across DECC and its departmental public bodies will be £167 million over the spending review period. Final decisions on where the reductions will fall have not yet been taken by Ministers.