Current UK Government guidance states that public bodies should exist only ‘as a last resort’, when three narrow tests are met. This approach means government does not always use the appropriate mechanism to fulfil its objectives. The authors of this paper argue that the tests...

Public bodies are frequently abolished, but there is little public guidance on how to do this. This report sets out ten practical lessons to help ministers and civil servants to decide when abolitions should happen and then to manage them well.

Ministers make appointments to powerful roles across the public sector. These can be controversial, so ensuring a high calibre of appointees is important. This report responds to concerns about the appointments process – and standards in public life generally – by proposing reforms to restore...

The COVID-19 crisis threw public bodies to the forefront of the government’s pandemic response. There were notable successes, but politicians, civil servants and public body leaders have much to learn from their experience of working together under pressure. This report offers nine key lessons that...