Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Marlesford (Conservative). It was answered on Thursday, 12 November 2009.

Quangos

Question: My Lords, first of all, I had better declare an interest as a former member of two quangos—the Countryside Commission and the Rural Development Commission—and five years as chairman of the CPRE, a pressure group. And I thank the Minister for those interesting figures. Does she agree that the value of quangos will be judged by the objectivity of their advice and the proportionality of their actions, and that this means that they must not transform themselves into pressure groups? Is she aware that Natural England, a quango, recently required the Highways Agency, another quango, to spend £300,000 of taxpayers’ money constructing two bridges for bats to commute over the Dobwalls bypass in Cornwall and that a survey of the value of this expenditure showed that 20 bats a day fly over the new road?

Answer: My Lords, in all my time at the Dispatch Box I never thought I would have a flag saying, "Bats, if pressed". I thank the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, for his courtesy in sharing his thinking on quangos with me this week. Although I am aware of his concerns and agree with his points on proportionality—especially the example he gave the House this morning—he will know of our real responsibility to bats and their habitats from our obligations under EU law... That will open a debate, my Lords. However, I think that all sides of the House would agree that the model for non-departmental public bodies, generally speaking, works for the health of our democratic society and for the taxpayer.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 714 c898
Session: 2008-09
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Cost effectiveness Construction Cornwall Highways Agency Nature conservation Non-departmental public bodies Roads Bats Natural England A38 Expenditure Staff
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk