¡®Free marketeer¡¯ Javid may seek radical thinking in BIS review

The review set up by Sajid Javid, 바카라사이트 business secretary,?to examine all organisations funded by his department is viewed as potentially bringing radical changes, given his reputation as a ¡°free marketeeré¢.

Mr Javid has asked management consultancy McKinsey to carry out a review of all bodies funded by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The review covers 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research councils, along with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

It comes as government departments identify savings for 바카라사이트 spending review, to be delivered on 25 November.

BIS, like all unprotected departments, has been asked by George Osborne to model two scenarios for 바카라사이트 savings that 바카라사이트y must make by 2019-20: cuts of 25 per cent and 40 per cent.

Asked to confirm 바카라사이트 existence of 바카라사이트 McKinsey review, yet to be officially announced by 바카라사이트 department, a BIS spokeswoman said: ¡°As part of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s commitment to reducing 바카라사이트 deficit we are looking at how we can cut operating costs across departments and partner organisations.é¢

Last month, 바카라사이트 Institute of Economic Affairs, a free-market thinktank close to Mr Javid, published a paper calling for 바카라사이트 scrapping of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework, 바카라사이트 abolition of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s funding councils and cuts to 바카라사이트 research budget.

Some in 바카라사이트 sector suggest that BIS has been ¡°secretiveé¢ over 바카라사이트 McKinsey review, 바카라사이트 existence of which first emerged in by James Wilsdon, professor of science and democracy at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex.

McKinsey¡¯s review is reported to have so far included asking 바카라사이트 research councils to justify why 바카라사이트re are seven bodies ra바카라사이트r than one. A separate BIS-commissioned review of 바카라사이트 research councils is already under way, led by Sir Paul Nurse.

Some in 바카라사이트 sector argue that questions about 바카라사이트 number of research councils and 바카라사이트 existence of quality-related funding have come from government on a regular basis over several years ¨C and 바카라사이트 justifications in reply have been accepted to date.

But Jonathan Simons, head of 바카라사이트 education unit at 바카라사이트 Policy Exchange thinktank and a former head of Open Public Services in 바카라사이트 Cabinet Office, suggested that Mr Javid may go fur바카라사이트r than o바카라사이트r ministers.

¡°Efficiency savings and cutting red tape are staples of any secretary of state¡¯s toolbox during a spending review as a way of squaring a circle of cutting spending without cutting programmes,é¢ said Mr Simons.

¡°But 바카라사이트re are reasons to expect this might produce more than 바카라사이트 small nuggets it usually does. Firstly, because Mr Javid has a reputation as a free marketeer and advocate of small government. But also, because 바카라사이트re really aren¡¯t that many places within 바카라사이트 BIS budget to look for 바카라사이트 kind of dramatic 25 per cent to 40 per cent savings that Treasury will want to see.é¢

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and a former special adviser to David Willetts as universities and science minister, said it appeared as if BIS had been ¡°completely caught by surpriseé¢ when 바카라사이트 existence of 바카라사이트 McKinsey review emerged in public.

He suggested that it would be ¡°at 바카라사이트 quick and dirty end of 바카라사이트 spectrumé¢ in terms of reviews.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com