Ministers' considering bill to abolish hundreds of quangos

Political editor

- Pippa Crerar

Ministers could introduce legislation to abolish a swathe of quangos in one go as part of the government's plans to restructure the state and cut thousands more civil service jobs, the Guardian understands.

Government sources said they were considering a bill that would speed up the reorganisation of more than 300 arm's-length organisations that between them spend about £353bn of public money.

Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister, has written to every Whitehall department asking them to justify each quango or risk their being closed, merged, or having their powers brought back into the department.

Ministers would have to demonstrate the necessity of each one, operating under the presumption that these bodies would be affected unless there was compelling justification for their separate existence, sources said.