FOI REF: FOI-2023-1473
You asked
Could you please send me a definitive list of all current government Autonomous Non-Government Organisations, including those who are owned and funded by government including those who have been establish under Royal Charter i.e., those who have considerable independence and limited political accountability, such as the BBC and the Bank of England.
we said
Thank you for your request.
Our Public Sector Classification Guide (PSCG) which is updated monthly, contains the economic sector classification of organisations which are/were classified to the public sector. The economic sector classifications do not differentiate between those which have been established under Royal Charter specifically, although these are included if considered to be under public sector control i.e. National Citizen Service Trust, BBC etc. These sector classifications are used to inform the compilation of the UK Public Sector Finances and UK National Accounts.
The classification per se, does not indicate the level of independence an organisation may have, even though it is considered to be under public sector control according to the relevant international statistical guidance and classified as a public sector body. To be considered to be a separate institutional unit, and listed individually on the PSCG, an organisation must have decision making autonomy in the exercise of its principal function (European System of Accounts 2010, para. 2.12)
Some public organisations are subject to an administrative classification by the Cabinet Office, but the ONS PSCG is considered the primary source for information on UK public sector bodies.