Tony Wright

A powerful House of Commons committee is to examine the system of patronage and appointments to public bodies.

The Commons Public Administration Select Committee announced on Monday it would conduct a major review of public appointments and patronage to check whether ministers and others were misusing their power of appointment.

The inquiry will cover all appointments to national, regional and local public bodies and will examine whether the system needs to be reformed to ensure fair, effective and transparent appointments.

Rows over patronage and "Tony's cronies" hit the headlines again last week with the announcement of plans to reform the House of Lords. Around 60 per cent of the new members will be nominated by the political parties, while a further 20 per cent will be selected by a new Appointments Commission.

Tony Wright, the Labour MP for Cannock Chase and chairman of the committee, said the power of unelected people is growing and the committee would examine whether this was blurring lines of accountability. "The appointed state is here to stay. Some form of patronage is an inescapable part of public life. For good practical reasons, you cannot hold elections for every public office," he said.

"It is vital that the patronage exercised by ministers and others is not misused and that the public can be sure that it is getting the best people for the job," Wright added.

The committee's timetable will see an issues paper published shortly and oral evidence sessions taking place early in 2002.

In a report on the "Quango state" published in March this year, the committee called on the government to introduce a more open regime for non-departmental public bodies. "Despite some important reforms in recent years, notably the introduction of the 'Nolan' rules, concerns about the appointments process continue to crop up at all levels - from local partnership boards to the House of Lords," said Wright.