Defra’s Arms Length Public bodies

The majority of Defra’s aims are delivered by its network of delivered partners which are variously referred to as public bodies, arms length bodies, NDPBs (Non Departmental Public Bodies), or quangos. Defra’s largest public bodies include the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Rural Payments Agency. All of the public bodies sponsored by Defra carry out their functions to a greater or lesser extent at arm’s length from central government.

Delivery landscape

The main types of public bodies are Executive Agencies, and Non departmental public bodies (NPDBs) which includes both Executive and Advisory NDPBs and Levy Boards. Public Corporations are also a type of NDPB and are included on both the map and list below. Defra’s aims are also delivered by a number of other partner bodies which are not NDPBs such as the National Parks Authorities and these are also listed.

The delivery landscape map is intended to give a clear picture of all our key delivery bodies and the closeness of their relationship to Defra.

• Delivery landscape map (PDF 200 KB)
• A to Z index of delivery bodies

Public Bodies Reforms

The Government is committed to ensuring greater accountability and transparency in all public services and initiated a review of public bodies in summer 2010. If all the decisions that have been announced as part of that review are implemented, Defra will have 36 Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs); before the review Defra had 92 ALBs. Although some changes have already happened, others require legislation. Now, that the Public Bodies Act 2011 is in place work is going on to enable these proposals to be taken forward. Where changes, such as abolition, could be made administratively this has been done and Defra’s delivery landscape has already been significantly reduced.

As part of the public bodies review the Government agreed that Natural England and the Environment Agency should be reviewed and reformed. This is also one of Defra’s business plan commitments which requires the department to “set out and begin to implement reforms to the Environment Agency and Natural England, clarifying their accountabilities and making them more efficient and customer focused” by April 2012. 

The Department has worked closely with the Environment Agency and Natural England to ensure a radical and comprehensive package of measures that will start to transform them into more efficient, front line delivery bodies focused strongly on the Government’s ambitions for the environment, sustainable development and green economy. Significant structural and cultural change is now underway to create new delivery models that are more cost effective and support Defra and wider Government objectives.  This has been achieved through -

• Reducing back office costs while protecting the front line which includes stripping out unnecessary bureaucracy
• Avoiding duplication both with Defra and across other deliver bodies
• Introducing cultural change to deliver new ways of working to embrace localism and Big Society and more customer focus
• Stopping activities that do not deliver Government priorities. 

The process of reform will continue through new commitments in EA/NE Corporate Plans and the implementation of a number of Government Reviews including the Penfold and Habitats Reviews.

• Environment Agency – specific achievements (Environment Agency website)
• Natural England – specific achievements (Natural England website)

Older information can found on the National Archives website