Think-tank calls for quangos cull

Feb 9 2010

Most of Scotland's 115 quangos should be abolished to improve democracy, a think-tank has claimed.

Reform Scotland said too much political power was currently in the hands of the unelected groups, adding quangos such as Scottish Enterprise and VisitScotland operated in a "no-man`s land", being neither fully accountable to the public through ministers nor fully independent of government.

The think-tank said there were 115 quangos, costing the Scottish Government more than £13 billion in 2008-09 - although almost £10 million went to NHS bodies.