Visit Britain and Visit England’s futures are ‘still to be decided’ and English Heritage, home of many event venues, is set to be merged with two other heritage quangos.
In the case of Visit Britain and Visit England a spokeman said the situation with the bodies had not changed from a July statement from their government department - the Department for Culture, Media and Sport - which said it was "considering whether to change the status, role and functions of Visit England and Visit Britain". The quangos are not among those exepcted to be axed.
The quangos, or quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, are part of hundreds being reviewed by the new government with some very important and well-known ones being axed altogether. All changes are part of a broad effeciency drive.
Also facing an anxious wait is the , which falls into the ‘still to be decided’ column.
On the Olympic front, the Olympic Delivery Authority, liaising with many venues and suppliers with regards to delivering the Olympic infrastructure, is to remain in place, but the body in charge of securing a future for Olympic venues, the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), has been earmarked for being abolished or at least changed into another form.
"There has been significant progress in discussions about the Olympic Park Legacy Company evolving into a Mayoral Development Corporation, which will give us greater powers to deliver a lasting legacy for east London. Plans are in place and work is already in hand to effect that transition," said an Olympic Park Legacy Company spokesperson."In the meantime, we are focused on our plans to develop the Olympic Park over the next 25 years, including securing the future use of the Olympic Stadium and, today, calling for expressions of interest in the Broadcast and Press Centre site."
On the venue side, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, which many will be surprised to find is a quango, is another with which that the government has still to decide what to do.
The report, ‘Summary of Public Body Reform Proposals’, and dated 26 August 2010, was leaked to BBC One’s Politics Show.
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