Questions
Asked by
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the titles of all regulatory bodies reporting to departments. [HL1923]
The table below lists the titles of all regulatory bodies reporting to departments.
Departments Sponsored Regulatory Bodies Cabinet Office Charity Commission for England and Wales (non-ministerial government department—NMGD) Department for Business, Innovation and Skills British Hallmarking Council Coal Authority Companies House Competition Commission Consumer Focus Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate Financial Reporting Council Hearing Aid Council Insolvency Service National Measurement Office Ofcom Office of Fair Trading (NMGD) Office of Fair Access Postal Services Commission (NMGD) UK Intellectual Property Office Department for Children, Schools and Families Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator Office for Standards in Education—OFSTED (NMGD) Department for Communities and Local Government English Partnerships Office for Tenants and Social Landlords Planning Inspectorate Department for Culture, Media and Sports English Heritage Football Licensing Authority Gambling Commission UK Sport Department for Energy and Climate Change Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (NMGD) DEFRA Animal Health British Potato Council Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) Food and Environment Research Agency Forestry Commission (NMGD) Natural England Drinking Water Inspectorate Rural Payments Agency Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate Plant Varieties and Seeds Inspectorate Marine and Fisheries Agency Meat Hygiene Service Office of Water Services (NMGD) Fish Health Inspectorate Environment Agency Gangmasters Licensing Authority National Bee Unit of the Central Science Laboratory Pesticides Safety Directorate Veterinary Laboratories Agency Veterinary Medicines Directorate Department for Transport Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Driving Standards Agency Highway Agency Maritime and Coastguard Agency Office for Rail Regulation (NMGD) Vehicle and Operator Services Agency Vehicle Certification Agency Civil Aviation Authority Renewable Fuels Agency Department for Work and Pensions Health and Safety Executive The Pensions Regulator Department of Health Care Quality Commission Food Standards Agency (NMGD) Healthcare Commission Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Human Tissue Authority General Social Care Council Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board Government Equalities Office Equality and Human Rights Commission Home Office Animal (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate Criminal Records Bureau Independent Safeguarding Authority National Counter Terrorism Security Office Security Industry Authority Serious and Organised Crime Agency UK Border Agency Ministry of Justice Information Commissioner's Office Legal Services Board
The above list includes only regulatory bodies and not all public bodies. While all regulatory bodies are public bodies, not all public bodies exercise a regulatory function, that is, a function, under any enactment, of imposing requirements, restrictions and condition, and setting standards in relation to any activity, and of securing compliance, or enforcement. This is consistent with the definition of a “regulatory function” in the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006. Thus, the list does not include public bodies that carry out mainly advisory, research and tribunal functions. A list of all public bodies is available on the Cabinet Office website at http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/Assets/PublicBodies2008_tcm6-6429.pdf.
Asked by
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements exist for the accountability of regulatory bodies to Parliament. [HL1924]
Regulatory bodies created by statute are answerable to Ministers for the exercise of their statutory functions and, ultimately, to Parliament either indirectly through Ministers or directly through scrutiny by relevant committees of Parliament, such as the Public Accounts Committee, departmental Select Committees of the House of Commons, and cross-cutting (thematic) committees.
The National Audit Office can also audit the accounts of regulatory bodies and report on their procedures and practices. Bodies created by statute will be obliged to lay accounts and reports before Parliament each year. Further, government departments, Ministers and statutory regulators listed in the schedule to the Parliamentary Commissioners Act 1967 are answerable to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration in relation to complaints about their activities.
Executive agencies, which are not creatures of statute, will normally account to Ministers, who in turn will answer to Parliament for the actions of their agencies.
Asked by
To ask Her Majesty's Government which regulatory bodies have been subject to a value for money or appropriation account inquiry by the National Audit Office since 1997. [HL1925]
The National Audit Office (NAO) has prepared value for money reports on all of the regulatory bodies in the public sector since 1997. It is also the financial auditor for most of the regulatory bodies' resource accounts. From 2010-11 the NAO will audit the Financial Services Authority (FSA) accounts.