Orders under the Public Bodies Act 2011

The Public Bodies Act 2011 received royal assent on 14 December 2011. The Act provides for orders to be brought forward to abolish, merge, modify the constitutional arrangements of; modify the funding arrangements of; and modify or transfer the functions of public bodies.

The Act introduces a new procedure – the enhanced affirmative procedure – under which Parliament considers these orders. A new Standing Order was debated and agreed on 19 January 2012. In general, the orders are considered by the relevant departmental select committee, unless the Liaison Committee decides otherwise. Select committees have begun to examine orders under the Act.

The Public Bodies Act 2011 procedures deal only with the bodies specified in the various schedules to the Act. Other public bodies have been abolished either in different primary legislation or non-statutory bodies have been wound up using ministerial powers. Remaining Non Departmental Public Bodies are subject to a triennial review. In a written ministerial statement on 15 December 2011, Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, set out 31 bodies to be reviewed as part of the non-statutory triennial review process of remaining Non Departmental Public Bodies.