They're growing - bigger and more numerous

Quangos, that is.

A recent report published by the Taxpayers Alliance reveals the growing influence of these creatures which allow governments to dispense patronage, and let others take the blame when something goes wrong.

The TPA calculates that in the UK there are at least 1,500 of them - the governments are even running out of initials for them - there are two called FSA (- the Food Standards Agency and the Financial Services Authority).

It seems that these quasi autonomous non-government agencies employ over half a million staff, although some are so small that have only a few on the pay roll. They also distribute in staff salaries, expensive offices and grants something approaching £100 billion. (In 2007-08, the latest year for which mostly full amounts are known, they disbursed £90 billion, which was an increase of £13 billion on the previous year.)

They are non-government and apparently autonomous, and can act as bureaucrats -widening their empires and appointing ever more staff. They are also unaccountable - to parliament and voters. They are only nominally in the field of a relevant minister. Many of them pay their highest officer more than we pay the Prime Minister!

This is why Cameron and company have announced that they wish to "clip their wings" - to the extent that each quango would be answerable to a parliamentary committee, and the chief would have to appear to state their objectives and their success in achieving them. Scrutiny and cross examination would take place. This, to make the quangos answerable to parliament and the voters.