Parliamentary Accountability : A Study of Parliament and Executive Agencies

Written by members of the Study of Parliament Group, this book assesses Parliament's response to the reorganisation of much of the civil service into 'executive agencies'. Chief executives have been given freedom to take operational decisions. Yet Ministers insist that they themselves remain constitutionally responsible for the work of the agencies. After reviewing Parliament's mechanisms and considering several case-studies, the authors conclude that Parliament has yet to exploit fully the opportunities for greater accountability which the new arrangements provide. Front Matter....Pages i-xi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Origins of the Next Steps Programme....Pages 3-17 Ministerial Responsibility and Next Steps Agencies....Pages 19-32 Next Steps and Parliamentary Scrutiny....Pages 33-51 Front Matter....Pages 53-53 The Treasury Committee and Next Steps Agencies....Pages 55-70 Departmental Select Committees and the Next Steps Programme....Pages 71-94 Financial Accountability: Agencies and Audit....Pages 95-117 Members of Parliament and Agencies: Parliamentary Questions....Pages 119-137 Agencies and the Ombudsman....Pages 139-152 Front Matter....Pages 153-153 The Environment Agencies....Pages 155-190 The Department of Social Security and its Agencies....Pages 191-202 Accountability and the Employment Service Agency....Pages 203-217 Front Matter....Pages 219-219 Next Steps to Where?....Pages 221-241 Back Matter....Pages 243-260