To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many public sector regulatory bodies have been (a) created and (b) abolished since May 1997. (272017)

The annual Cabinet Office publication “Public Bodies” provides information on all non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), including those with regulatory functions. In 1997 there were 857 NDPBs sponsored by UK Government. By 2008 the number had fallen to 790. Copies of “Public Bodies” dating back to 1997 are available in the Libraries of the House.