A missed flight, snow and an extra overnight stay meant our original plans for our November event went astray. Rapidly coming up with a plan B we sought inspiration from DOGE, the newly announced US Department of Government Efficiency.
“With UK government debt at about £2.7 trillion and a deficit of £120 billion, we decided to look at what a DOGE might do in the UK”
The idea of DOGE emerged in discussions between Elon Musk and Donald Trump and will be led by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. It will function as an advisory body aiming to streamline the US federal government and reduce inefficiency. Musk has suggested that the commission could help to cut the US federal budget by up to $2 trillion.
This is no idle talk, when he first took over, Musk cut around 6,000 employees (80%) of Twitter’s workforce. This included the diversity and inclusion teams, product and design teams, and the content moderation team.
With UK government debt at about £2.7 trillion and a deficit of £120 billion, we decided to look at what a DOGE might do in the UK. After an initial brief discussion, we split into teams looking at UK government departments.
“No one saw the need for a Department of Culture, Media and Sport”
Each team was given the list of departments with their expenditure and asked to decide if they were in a UK DOGE which government departments they would want to keep and which ones they would abolish. Now of course in reality no one would decide government expenditure in quite this fashion, but this was an exercise in exploring how we would make decisions on expenditure. To make things more interesting each team was asked to keep half and abolish half the departments.
Total Departmental Expenditure Limits, 2022-23 (£millions)
| Departmental Group | Total DEL |
| Health and Social Care | 182,131 |
| Education | 81,793 |
| Home Office | 17,911 |
| Justice | 10,677 |
| Law Officers’ Departments | 771 |
| Defence | 52,797 |
| Single Intelligence Account | 3,796 |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 9,308 |
| DLUHC – Local Government | 11,772 |
| DLUHC – Housing and Communities | 10,655 |
| Culture, Media and Sport | 2,269 |
| Science, Innovation and Technology | 10,620 |
| Transport | 28,912 |
| Energy Security and Net Zero | 20,328 |
| Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 5,858 |
| Business and Trade | 1,470 |
| Work and Pensions | 8,581 |
| HM Revenue and Customs | 6,607 |
| HM Treasury | 300 |
| Cabinet Office | 1,130 |
| Scotland | 41,935 |
| Wales | 18,071 |
| Northern Ireland | 15,621 |
| Small and Independent Bodies | 2,590 |
“We wondered why over a billion pounds needed to be spent on the Cabinet Office, and no one wanted to retain the £20 billion + spent on the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero”
Whilst teams came to different conclusions some areas of commonality existed. No one saw the need for a Department of Culture, Media and Sport, but at only 0.42% of government department expenditure cutting it whilst possibly worthwhile, would make little difference to the deficit.
Teams agreed to keep the Home Office, Justice and Defence departments, along with Business and Trade and perhaps surprisingly HM Revenue and Customs. We wondered why over a billion pounds needed to be spent on the Cabinet Office, and no one wanted to retain the £20 billion + spent on the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. We felt this is a department whose removal could revive the economy through less regulation. There was also general agreement that the services provided by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and The Scotland Office should be financed locally in the areas receiving the expenditure.
Following through on the exercise would have generally cut around 30% of government department expenditure. With Health and Social Care being a third of all department expenditure alone, in a real-life scenario any meaningful change would likely have to impact this area.
Our second scenario was to look at some of the 424 Agencies and other public bodies the government has, to decide which ones a UK DOGE might decide to keep or abolish. The 27 we assessed included a short blurb about their role from the government’s own website. The 27 represented just 6% of all government ‘Agencies and other public bodies’, and all being listed under the letter ‘C’ represented just 64% of the C’s!
See how many of these quango’s you recognise:
| Cafcass | The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) looks after the interests of children involved in family proceedings. It is independent of the courts and social services, but works under the rules of the Family Court and legislation to work with children and their families, and then advise the courts on what is considered to be in the best interests of individual children. Cafcass is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. |
| Care Quality Commission | The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates all health and social care services in England. The commission ensures the quality and safety of care in hospitals, dentists, ambulances, and care homes, and the care given in people’s own homes. CQC is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care. |
| Careers Wales | Careers Wales provides independent and impartial careers information, advice and guidance service for Wales. Careers Wales works with the Welsh Government. |
| Central Advisory Committee on Compensation | The Central Advisory Committee on Compensation (CAC Compensation) gives advice on all service compensation schemes and on policy issues related to them. CAC Compensation works with the Ministry of Defence. |
| Central Arbitration Committee | We encourage fair and efficient arrangements in the workplace by resolving collective disputes in England, Scotland and Wales, either by voluntary agreement or, if necessary, through a legal decision. CAC is a tribunal of the Department for Business and Trade. |
| Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science | A world leader in marine science and technology, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) collects, manages and interprets data on the aquatic environment, biodiversity and fisheries. Cefas is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. |
| Certification Officer | The Certification Officer (CO) and her team ensure that trade unions and employers’ associations carry out their statutory duties. Certification Officer works with the Department for Business and Trade. |
| Chevening Scholarship Programme | Chevening Scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarships programme. Established in 1983, these scholarships support study at UK universities – mostly one-year Masters’ degrees – for students with demonstrable potential to become future leaders, decision-makers and opinion formers. |
| Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel | We are an independent panel commissioning reviews of serious child safeguarding cases. We want national and local reviews to focus on improving learning, professional practice and outcomes for children. Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel works with the Department for Education. |
| Churches Conservation Trust | The Churches Conservation Trust is the national charity protecting churches at risk. It repairs damage and works with local communities to revive churches. Churches Conservation Trust works with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. |
| Civil Justice Council | The Civil Justice Council (CJC) is responsible for overseeing and co-ordinating the modernisation of the civil justice system. CJC is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. |
| Civil Nuclear Police Authority | The Civil Nuclear Police Authority oversees the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) and must ensure that their policing meets the need of the nuclear operating companies. CNPA is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. |
| Civil Procedure Rule Committee | The Civil Procedure Rule Committee was set up under the Civil Procedure Act 1997 to make rules of court for the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the County Court. The Civil Procedure Rules set out the practice and procedure to be followed. CPRC is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice. |
| Civil Service Commission | The Civil Service Commission regulates recruitment into the Civil Service, ensuring that appointments are made on merit after fair and open competition. It also hears complaints under the Civil Service Code. CSC is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Cabinet Office. |
| Coal Authority | The Coal Authority makes a better future for people and the environment in mining areas. Coal Authority is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. |
| College of Policing | College of Policing works with the Home Office. |
| Commission for Countering Extremism | The Commission for Countering Extremism supports society to fight all forms of extremism. Commission for Countering Extremism works with the Home Office. |
| Commission on Human Medicines | The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) advises ministers on the safety, efficacy and quality of medicinal products. CHM is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care. |
| Commissioner for Public Appointments | The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates the processes by which ministers make appointments to the boards of national and regional public bodies. The commissioner aims to ensure that such appointments are made on merit after a fair, open and transparent process. Commissioner for Public Appointments works with the Cabinet Office. |
| Committee on Climate Change | The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) advises the government on emissions targets and reports to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. CCC is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. |
| Committee on Fuel Poverty | We advise on the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing fuel poverty, and encourage greater co-ordination across the organisations working to reduce fuel poverty. CFP is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. |
| Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment | The Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COM) assesses and advises on mutagenic risks to humans. COM is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Food Standards Agency. |
| Committee on Radioactive Waste Management | The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) provides independent scrutiny and transparent advice to the UK governments on the long-term management of higher activity radioactive wastes. CoRWM is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. |
| Committee on Standards in Public Life | The independent Committee on Standards in Public Life advises the Prime Minister on arrangements for upholding ethical standards of conduct across public life in England. We are not a regulator and cannot investigate individual complaints. CSPL is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Cabinet Office. |
| Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment | The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) is an independent scientific committee that provides advice to the Food Standards Agency, the Department of Health and other government bodies on matters concerning the toxicity of chemicals. COT is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Food Standards Agency. |
| Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK | The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) provides the main UK government scholarship scheme led by international development objectives. CSC is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. |
| Companies House | We incorporate and dissolve limited companies. We register company information and make it available to the public. Companies House is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade. |
“Agreement on getting rid of the ‘Committee on Climate Change’ included a belief that without their work, people might be able to afford to heat their homes”
There was conformity in teams deciding they would keep just over a third of the departments and abolishing the rest. However, what departments fell into each category varied greatly. Those of us who had used ‘Companies House’ felt it provided a good and useful service, and it should be kept. There was communality in the desire to remove ‘Careers Wales’ as it wasn’t clear why Wales needed its own Careers quango. It was felt that philanthropy might be the best route for taking forward the work of the ‘Chevening Scholarship Programme’ and that of the ‘Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK’ if they were needed.
“it was generally believed the ‘College of Policing’ was itself a non-crime hate incident and was best abolished”
Agreement on getting rid of the ‘Committee on Climate Change’ included a belief that without their work, people might be able to afford to heat their homes, as such there was also general agreement the ‘Committee on Fuel Poverty’ could go. The recent budget and changes to winter fuel payments suggested this committee wasn’t serving its purpose. Most people believed the ‘Committee on Standards in Public Life’ had clearly failed in its remit and as such it could also go. Lastly, it was generally believed the ‘College of Policing’ was itself a non-crime hate incident and was best abolished.
The discussion that followed underlined the purpose of the exercises. Many people wanted to cut chunks of expenditure out of different departments and agencies not necessarily the whole thing. As a general view to reduce government expenditure it was felt we should:
- Disengage from foreign wars.
- Cut or stop foreign aid.
- Stop expenditure on ‘Climate Change’ and get rid of Net Zero targets.
- Hold a real bonfire of the quangos.
- Revamp government procurement.
Some discussion was held on using methods like cutting all departments expenditure by 10%, freezing all recruitment, or simply following Javier Milei in Argentina, who has reduced their the federal budget by 30%. We also considered making a start by simply paying no one in government more than the Prime Minister.
A lot of concern was raised over the constant overspend on government projects. We wondered how the Olympics and building Terminal 5 of Heathrow could happen on time when so little else does. Management of scope and planning reform were seen as a key element, and we did wonder if we needed a new department for ‘cutting planning obstacles’. It was also suggested Quangos be moved back into their respective government departments to improve accountability.
The evening led to some interesting discussions when people are forced to make choices, and it made people think about what criteria they would use and what they wanted from government.
It wasn’t all serious discussion, as some thought was given on additional government expenditure to retake Calais from the French and to introduce a fully funded ministry of silly walks.
What expenditure would you like to cut? Do get in touch with us at [email protected] with your ideas.
Original DOGE image details: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Musk_DOGE_logo.jpg
‘UK’ Union Flag text from: Font generator