Teenage Pregnancy Advisory Service to go in quango cuts

A leaked document has revealed that the Coalition Government is to scrap 117 Public Bodies, possibly merge 129 others to reduce them to 57, keep 94 under review, and retain 350. The Daily Telegraph has the full list.

Among the bodies to the axed are: the Air Quality Expert Group (provides advice on complying with the British "Air Quality Strategy" and the EU Directive on ambient air quality assessment and management, or "Air Quality Framework Directive"); and the Darwin Advisory Committee. This helps poor countries to meet their objectives under one or more of the three major biodiversity Conventions. The mysteriously named "Committee on the Safety of Devices" is to go, as is the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Board - that really sounds like getting rid of waste.

Of more serious interest is the proposed scrapping of: the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the Independent Advisory Group of Sexual Health and HIV, and, perhaps best of all, the appalling Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy. For the axing of the latter, John Smeaton suggests "three quiet cheers". After all, as he wisely points out, we should never be complacent on pro-life matters and public policy. Nevertheless, I'm sure we will all be glad to see the back of the TPIAG. If you are not sure why this matters, see, for example, my post All schools, including faith schools.

Unfortunately, one of the bodies that is to be retained is the BBC.

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