Editing Non-departmental public body

{{Short description|UK public sector organisation}}
In the [[United Kingdom]], '''non-departmental public body''' ('''NDPB''') is a classification applied by the [[Cabinet Office]], [[HM Treasury|Treasury]], the [[Scottish Government]], and the [[Northern Ireland Executive]] to [[public sector]] organisations that have a role in the process of national government but are not part of a government department.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Classification of public bodies: information and guidance|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/classification-of-public-bodies-information-and-guidance|access-date=2021-02-12|website=GOV.UK|page=13|language=en}}</ref> NDPBs carry out their work largely independently from ministers and are accountable to the public through [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]; however, ministers are responsible for the independence, effectiveness, and efficiency of non-departmental public bodies in their portfolio.<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/690946/Public_Bodies_-_a_guide_for_departments_-_chapter_2.pdf|title=Public Bodies a guide for departments: Policy and characteristics|publisher=UK Government|year=2006|isbn=|location=|page=2|chapter=2}}</ref>

The term includes the four types of NDPB (executive, advisory, tribunal, and independent monitoring boards) but excludes public corporations and public broadcasters ([[BBC]], [[Channel 4]], and [[S4C]]).<ref>Cabinet Office (2007) ''[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20081211180957/http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/documents/pdf/public_bodies/public_bodies_2007.pdf Public Bodies 2007 (from the UK Government Web Archive)]'', p. 6</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1=Bradley, A. W.  |author2=Ewing, K. D.  |name-list-style=amp | title=Constitutional and Administrative Law | publisher=Longman | location=London | edition=13th | isbn=0-582-43807-1 | year=2003 }}, pp. 291–292.</ref>

==Types of body==
The UK Government classifies bodies into four main types. The Scottish Government also has a fifth category: [[NHS Scotland|NHS bodies]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/about/Categories |title=Public bodies: Public body information: NDPB Categories |publisher=[[Scottish Government]] |access-date=10 September 2014}}</ref>

===Advisory NDPBs===
These bodies consist of boards which advise ministers on particular policy areas. They are often supported by a small secretariat from the parent department, and any expenditure is paid for by that department.

===Executive NDPBs===
These bodies usually deliver a particular public service and are overseen by a board rather than ministers.  Appointments are made by ministers following the Code of Practice of the [[Commissioner for Public Appointments]]. They employ their own staff and allocate their own budgets.

===Tribunal NDPBs===
{{main|Tribunals in the United Kingdom}}
These bodies have jurisdiction over an area of the [[law]]. They are coordinated by [[His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service]], an [[executive agency]] of the [[Ministry of Justice]], and supervised by the [[Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council]], itself an NDPB sponsored by the Ministry of Justice.

===Independent monitoring boards===
{{Main|Independent monitoring board}}
These bodies were formerly known as "boards of visitors" and are responsible for the state of prisons, their administration, and the treatment of prisoners. The [[Home Office]] is responsible for their costs and has to note all expenses.

==Contrast with executive agencies, non-ministerial departments and quangos==
NDPB differ from [[Executive agency|executive agencies]] as they are not created to carry out ministerial orders or policy, instead they are more or less self-determining and enjoy greater independence.  They are also not directly part of government like a [[non-ministerial government department]] being at a remove from both ministers and any elected assembly or parliament. Typically an NDPB would be established under [[statute]] and be accountable to [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] rather than to [[His Majesty's Government]]. This arrangement allows more financial independence since the government is obliged to provide funding to meet statutory obligations.

NDPBs are sometimes referred to as [[quango]]s. However, this term originally referred to quasi-NGOs  bodies that are, at least ostensibly, [[non-government organisations]], but nonetheless perform governmental functions. The [[backronym]] "quasi-autonomous national government organization" is used in this usage which is normally pejorative.

==History, numbers and powers==
In March 2009 there were nearly 800 public bodies that were sponsored by the UK Government.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/PublicBodies2009_tcm6-35808.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011170940/http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/PublicBodies2009_tcm6-35808.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 October 2011 |title=Public bodies, 2009 |publisher=Cabinet Office |access-date=10 September 2009 }}</ref> This total included 198 executive NDPBs, 410 advisory bodies, 33 tribunals, 21 public corporations, the [[Bank of England]], 2 public broadcasting authorities and 23 NHS bodies. However, the classification is conservative and does not include bodies that are the responsibility of [[devolved government]], various lower tier boards (including a considerable number within the NHS), and also other boards operating in the public sector (e.g. school governors and police authorities).

These appointed bodies performed a large variety of tasks, for example [[health trust]]s, or the [[Welsh Development Agency]], and by 1992 were responsible for some 25% of all government expenditure in the UK. According to the Cabinet Office their total expenditure for the financial year 2005–06 was £167 billion.<ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20070221120000/http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies/publications/pdf/public-bodies/publicbodies2006.pdf Official list] ([[Portable Document Format|PDF]])</ref> 

As of March 2020, there were 237 non-departmental public bodies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Public Bodies 2020 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-bodies-2020 |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> 

==Criticism==
{{see also|2010 UK quango reforms}}

Critics argued that the system was open to abuse as most NDPBs had their members directly appointed by [[government minister]]s without an election or consultation with the people. The [[UK press|press]], critical of what was perceived as the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives']] complacency in power in the 1990s, presented much material interpreted as evidence of questionable government practices.

This concern led to the formation of a [[Committee on Standards in Public Life]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.public-standards.gov.uk/ |title=Committee on Standards in Public Life |publisher=Public-standards.gov.uk |access-date=2014-04-01}}</ref> (the Nolan Committee) which first reported in 1995 and recommended the creation of a "public appointments commissioner" to make sure that appropriate standards were met in the appointment of members of NDPBs.  The Government accepted the recommendation, and the [[Commissioner for Public Appointments|Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://publicappointmentscommissioner.org/|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20081209182758/http://publicappointmentscommissioner.org/|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 December 2008|title=Homepage|first=sapere audemus|last=Limited|website=webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk|access-date=19 March 2018}}</ref> was established in November 1995.

While in opposition, the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] promised to reduce the number and power of NDPBs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtcp.co.uk/2002series/show5.html |title=Mark Thomas story on Quangos |date=2002-12-12 |access-date=2014-04-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704075110/http://www.mtcp.co.uk/2002series/show5.html |archive-date=July 4, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4255709.stm |title=UK's 'useless' quangos under fire |work=BBC News |date=11 February 2005 |access-date=10 September 2014}}</ref> The use of NDPBs continued under the Labour government in office from 1997 to 2010, though the political controversy associated with NDPBs in the mid-1990s for the most part died away.

In 2010 the UK's Conservative-Liberal coalition published a review of NDPBs recommending closure or merger of nearly two hundred bodies, and the transfer of others to the private sector.<ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101125071349/http://download.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ndpb/public-bodies-list.pdf List of NDPBs], [[Cabinet Office]] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107190257/http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101125071349/http://download.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ndpb/public-bodies-list.pdf |date=November 7, 2014 }}</ref> This process was colloquially termed the "bonfire of the quangos".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.channel4.com/news/bonfire-of-the-quangos-promised |title='Bonfire of the quangos' revealed |work=[[Channel 4 News]] |date=14 October 2010 |access-date=10 September 2014}}</ref>

== Classification in national accounts ==
NDPBs are classified under code S.13112 of the [[European System of Accounts]] (ESA.95). However, [[Statistics UK]] does not break out the detail for these bodies and they are consolidated into General Government (S.1311).<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/classifications/na-classifications/the-ons-classification-process/sector-classification-index.xls| title = [ARCHIVED CONTENT] UK Government Web Archive - The National Archives}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Executive agency]]
*[[Non-ministerial government department]]
*[[Quango]]
*[[Regulatory agency]]
*[[Scottish public bodies]]
*[[Statutory agency]]
*[[Statutory corporation]]
*[[Welsh Government sponsored bodies]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140131031455/http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/resources/ndpb Civil Service information about NDPBs (from the UK Government Web Archive)]

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