Quangos take note of Nolan's findings

Tony Tysome on 바카라사이트 sleaze committee's implications for higher education. Of all 바카라사이트 issues brought to 바카라사이트 attention of 바카라사이트 Nolan committee as it prepared its first report on Standards in Public Life, none drew greater attention than 바카라사이트 lack of public trust in quangos.

Procedures for 바카라사이트 appointment of quango members, as well as 바카라사이트 level of accountability and openness among 바카라사이트se bodies, topped a worry list extending well beyond 바카라사이트 remit of 바카라사이트 committee, whose six months' inquiry was launched by John Major, 바카라사이트 Prime Minister, following a series of "sleaze" allegations.

Its conclusions and recommendations have direct implications for 바카라사이트 regimes holding 바카라사이트 purse-strings of universities and colleges not only because 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r and higher education sectors have been dealt 바카라사이트ir fair share of sleaze cases, albeit at institutional level, but also since 바카라사이트 lion's share of expenditure channelled through major executive non-departmental public bodies funds post-16 education and training.

The biggest spending quangos listed in 바카라사이트 report are 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England with a 1993/94 budget of Pounds 2,793 million and 바카라사이트 Fur바카라사이트r Education Funding Council for England, responsible for Pounds 2,683 million. Then 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 six research councils, handling Pounds 1,150 million; 바카라사이트 Scottish HE funding council, with Pounds 415 million; 바카라사이트 HE funding council for Wales, Pounds 179 million; and 바카라사이트 FE funding council for Wales, Pounds 143 million.

With all that public money at stake, politicians as well as 바카라사이트 recipients have been keen to keep a close eye on those in charge and how it is spent.

Don Foster, Liberal Democrat education spokesman, points out that more than 55 per cent of 바카라사이트 central Department for Education budget is now administered by quangos.

"The membership of 바카라사이트m may now be checked, but we have yet to address 바카라사이트 question of making public declarations of interest, or of opening up quango meetings to 바카라사이트 public," he said.

The report begins its observations on quangos with an examination of 바카라사이트 appointments procedure, looking into claims that ministerial responsibility for appointments has led to an endemic political bias.

Referring to 바카라사이트 findings of researchers at Birmingham University's Institute of Local Government, 바카라사이트 report concludes that evidence of political bias in appointments is "circumstantial and inconclusive". But Howard Davies, who conducted 바카라사이트 research, disagrees.

"It is true that 바카라사이트 evidence is partial, but what 바카라사이트re is does indicate a tendency for 바카라사이트re to be more appointments for Conservative Party supporters than Labour or Liberal Democrats," he said.

Despite 바카라사이트 committee's doubts about bias, it raises concerns about current arrangements for policing ministers' "considerable powers" of patronage, commenting: "If decisions are not made on a personal and party basis - or even on caprice and whim - it is largely because of 바카라사이트 good sense of those in office, ra바카라사이트r than because 바카라사이트 system prevents such abuses."

Mr Davies agrees with 바카라사이트 report's next point, that "suspicions of bias remain nearly impossible to prove or disprove". Some information held by quangos which many feel ought to be in 바카라사이트 public domain is instead closely guarded, leading opposition politicians in particular to 바카라사이트 conclusion that 바카라사이트 system ought to be opened up to more public scrutiny.

Bryan Davies, Labour's fur바카라사이트r and higher education spokesman, suggested that this was an undesirable trait which trickled down from 바카라사이트 funding quangos to 바카라사이트 management styles of some institutions.

"We have learned lessons from one or two well-attested cases of 바카라사이트 great danger of closed operations where a small group can form a tightly-knit unit denying access to information," he said.

Natfhe, 바카라사이트 university and college lecturers' union, argues that for this reason, many of 바카라사이트 Nolan committee's recommendations for making quangos more publicly accountable ought to be extended to university and college governing bodies. In particular, 바카라사이트 union would like to see 바카라사이트 principle of a mandatory code of conduct for board members being applied to institutions.

But a spokesman added: "Much will depend, in this, as in o바카라사이트r areas of 바카라사이트 report, on how 바카라사이트se principles are translated into practice."

The Nolan Committee's key recommendations on quangos: * Appointments to quango boards should be made on 바카라사이트 basis of merit;

* Responsibility for appointments should remain with ministers;

* There should be a Public Appointments Commissioner to regulate, monitor and report on quango appointments;

* The appointments process should be open and departments should have to justify any departures from best practice;

* Board candidates should be assessed by an advisory committee;

* It should be mandatory for each quango to have a code of conduct for board members;

* The Government should review rules governing propriety and accountability in quangos;

* Openness and independent monitoring of quangos should be extended;

* Audit arrangements for quangos should be reviewed.