Government to substantially reform Environment Agency

The government has today (October 14) announced plans to “substantially reform” the Environment Agency as part of changes to non-governmental bodies that are set to see the total number of quangos reduced by almost a third.

The announcement, which was made by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, also included confirmation that the Advisory Committee on Packaging will be abolished and will be re-constituted as a “committee of experts”.

However, the list of quangos that have been reviewed does not include the Waste and Resources Action Programme. When a similar list was leaked to the Telegraph last month, the resource efficiency body explained its absence as being due to the fact that it has an independent board (see letsrecycle.com story).

The overall effect of the reforms will be to reduce the total number of quangos considered under the review by almost a third – from 901 to 648, with 192 being scrapped, 118 being merged down to just 57 bodies, 171 being “retained and substantially reformed”, 40 still having their fate “under consideration” and 380 simply being retained.

The Cabinet Office noted that new measures will be introduced to increase the accountability of the remaining bodies, including reviews every three years.

Of the 85 Defra-run bodies contained within the scope of the review, 53 will no longer be a non-departmental public body, three will be subject to substantial reform, 23 have been retained and six are classed as “under consideration”.

Environment Agency

Outlining the government's plans for the Environment Agency, which regulates the waste industry in England and Wales, the Cabinet Office said it would be subject to “reform through structural, process and cultural change to become a more efficient and customer focused organisation; and clarify accountabilities.”

It said that further announcements would be made after the Spending Review, which is scheduled to take place next week (October 20), but noted that the Environment Agency in Wales might move to form part of a Welsh Assembly Government environmental body.

There had been speculation that the Environment Agency could be merged with Natural England. And, while Defra did not comment on this in a statement on today's announcement, it did say that it had been “working closely” with both bodies.

It said the aim was “to ensure a radical and comprehensive package of measures which will transform them into leaner, more efficient front line delivery bodies focused strongly on the Government's ambitions for the environment and the green economy”.

“There will be significant change across the organisations, to create a new delivery model that is the most effective and cost-efficient way to deliver, and exert leverage, in support of the Government's objectives,” it added.

The statement explained that, alongside Natural England, the Agency will:

• dramatically reduce its back office costs while keeping to the minimum possible reductions in delivery;
• work more closely with other arm's length bodies to eliminate any duplication in the work they carry out;
• implement demonstrable culture change and lead on innovative new ways of working which embrace Localism, Big Society and an improved customer focus;
• stop activity that Government does not need to do
• stop policy making and lobbying activities.

Spelman

Commenting on the changes specific to Defra, the environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, said: “Defra's current delivery network contains over 90 arm's-length bodies and there have been difficult decisions to make in order to achieve the best value for money in this challenging economic climate. The announcement today confirms that the number of Defra's arm's length bodies will reduce by over half.

“But the changes announced today also reflect the government's view that it should only carry out those functions which only government can do, while harnessing the power of civil society and the private sector to help deliver Defra's objectives.”

Mr Maude added that the review was a “work in progress”, noting the number of bodies that were still under consideration and the “rigorous” three-yearly reviews process remaining bodies would be subhect to, which he said would bring an end to bodies “outliving” their original purpose.

Other bodies

Among the other bodies named in today's list whose activities affect the waste industry is the WEEE Advisory Body, whose abolition was originally announced in July 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story) and has had five new working groups set up in its place (see letsrecycle.com story).

As expected, the Renewables Advisory Board, which advises the department of energy and climate change on renewables policy, is being abolished, while the Committee on Climate Change is being retained.

And, the Infrastructure Planning Commission, which was set up to provide independent decision on major infrastructure project planning decisions, such as large-scale energy-from-waste plants, is being abolished. Its powers are set to be shared between a new unit in the Planning Inspectorate and ministers (see letsrecycle.com story).