The number of public bodies in Scotland is to be cut in the most ambitious drive to reduce government bureaucracy since devolution, Alex Salmond told MSPs today.
The number of public bodies in Scotland is to be cut in the most ambitious drive to reduce government bureaucracy since devolution, Alex Salmond told MSPs today.
Mr Salmond announced plans to abolish or merge a total of 17 bodies on top of already-announced moves to axe 35, leaving 121.
The programme to reduce last year's total of 199 public bodies by 26% will be completed within the lifetime of this Parliament and will not involve compulsory redundancies, said the First Minister.
Among the changes is the amalgamation of the Deer Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage, and the abolition of a swathe of advisory boards.
The General Teaching Council for Scotland will also become a self-regulating body along the lines of the general medical council.
Setting out the case for decluttering the public sector landscape, Mr Salmond told MSPs: "Even the simplest planning applications for a rural housing development can involve up to half a dozen public agencies, in addition to the local authority, all working with different perspectives, procedures and deadlines.
One local authority had reported that it could take 29 separate processes, 63 meetings, and 108 documents to discuss the needs of, and agree action on, the needs of a single child.
And he told MSPs: "Even my predecessor's plan for a flagpole at Bute House required both a planning consent and a listed building consent.
"And there is still no flagpole at Bute House."
If the abolition of some local bodies like JP advisory committees is included, the overall reduction rises from 26% to 39%, said Mr Salmond.
"Our changes will result in a reduction of nine publicly appointed boards," he said.
"This means approximately 90 fewer public appointments across Scotland.
"Looking at adverting costs alone, this would save around £250,000 each time these posts are advertised.
He told MSPs: "Looking at the landscape of Scotland's public organisations today, we see a confusing array of organisational roles, remits and functions.
And he declared: "These proposals represent the most ambitious drive to reduce government bureaucracy since devolution."
The First Minister told Parliament the changes would make a "significant contribution" towards the £25 million required from the affected organisations in efficiency gains.
He said Scotland's institutional structures were "far too complex" for a country of five million people.
"The removes I have announced today reflect this and take a significant step forward in simplifying government, to drive efficiencies and increase productivity," he said.
Before today's announcement, plans were already in hand to abolish Communities Scotland, merge the Scottish Council and Scottish Screen into Creative Scotland, merge the Scottish Institute of Sport with sportscotland, merge various bodies into a single skills development body, and bring various bodies involved in the children's hearing system into one national body.
The new proposals include absorbing the Building Standards Agency into the Scottish Government and merging the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency and the Scottish Government rural payments directorate.
