Member

Thirdly—I put this to the Committee as a matter of principle, rather than applying it only to this Bill—non-departmental public bodies bring with them a well-documented set of accountability problems. Such bodies are close enough to government to be tasked and funded by a sponsoring department, yet distant enough that direct ministerial accountability to this House and the other place is diminished. The Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office have repeatedly reported on the difficulties of holding NDPBs to account for the money they spend and the decisions they take.