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Public Bodies: Governance and Accountability
12 November 2025
Lead MP
Valerie Vaz
Walsall and Bloxwich
Lab
Responding Minister
Anna Turley
Tags
NHSNorthern Ireland
Word Count: 4776
Other Contributors: 4
At a Glance
Valerie Vaz raised concerns about public bodies: governance and accountability in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The MP asks for clear reasons and justification from officials and arm’s length bodies regarding decisions that go against Government policy, especially when they involve significant financial investments such as £50 million for the new school and £47,000 for an opaque report on the museum's future location.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The debate addresses the governance and accountability of public bodies, highlighting concerns over a new school project in Walsall that lacks clear accountability and transparency. The project involves an arm’s length body called LocatED which chose an unsuitable site despite nine other sites being superior according to their own analysis. Additionally, there are issues with the potential closure of the Walsall Leather Museum due to opaque decision-making processes involving unelected institutions like Walsall college.
Alex Mayer
Lab
Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard
Concerned about interim officers in local government who move between organisations, asking for safeguards to ensure accountability.
Acknowledged the issue of departmental silos and lack of accountability, stating a commitment to manage recruitment, retention, training, accountability and performance within the civil service.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Compliments Valerie Vaz for securing the debate. Suggests bringing together all interested bodies to resolve issues of unaccountable power and lack of accountability.
Rachael Maskell
Lab/Co-op
York Central
Highlights an example from Bootham Park hospital in her constituency where a building is unused for nearly £2 million while waiting for a developer, illustrating how institutions hoard national assets rather than using them for community benefit. Integrated care boards and multi-academy trusts are unaccountable, making clinical decisions without evidence-based approaches.
Government Response
Anna Turley
The Minister without Portfolio
Government Response
A fundamental review of arm’s length bodies is underway to ensure ministerial policy oversight, duplication reduction, stakeholder engagement, and independent advice justification. Changes include the abolition of NHS England and the Education and Skills Funding Agency. Commits to write to Secretaries of State inviting them to submit examples and evidence for the ALB review; assures that public bodies are accountable, efficient, and aligned with government priorities through reform programme.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.