Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10WS, on the public bodies reform programme, what estimate she has made of the savings to her Department net of costs incurred in the assumption of additional departmental responsibilities to accrue from (a) the abolition of 24 public bodies within her Department's area of responsibility and (b) the change in function of seven such bodies.
Answer
[holding answer 21 March 2011]: On 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 9WS, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (Mr Maude) issued a written ministerial statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate that cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.DEFRA anticipates net planned administrative savings from structural reforms of our public bodies over the spending review period of approximately £18.58 million. In addition to this, we anticipate that cumulative planned administrative reductions from all DEFRA's public bodies will be approximately £250.93 million over the spending review period in real terms.DEFRA published spending review allocations for its arm's length bodies on our external website on 20 December 2010.