Children's sector quangos face axe

A further 94 are still under review, four will be privatised and 129 will be merged, while 350 bodies have won a reprieve, according to a document seen by the Daily Telegraph.

Public bodies to be abolished include the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy, School Food Trust, School Support Staff Negotiating Body and Teachers TV Board.

Also included in the list is the General Teaching Council for England, although Education Secretary Michael Gove already announced plans to scrap it in June, saying it "does little to raise teaching standards or professionalism", and the General Social Care Council, which is being abolished to as part of a major overhaul of the Department of Health’s arm's length bodies aimed at cutting costs. The scrapping of the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency announced in May, is also confirmed in the list.

Public bodies still under review include the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, Children’s Workforce Development Council, Family Justice Council, National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services, Partnership for Schools, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, Training and Development Agency for Schools and Young People’s Learning Agency.

The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, heavily criticised by Napo and an alliance of 18 senior family lawyers, unions, children's charities and health organisations, is also under review.

Unison said it is "outraged" at the removal of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body and will be consulting members on industrial action and demanding the government carry out an Equality Impact Assessment over its decision.

The body was designed to bring fairness and consistency to the pay of 500,000 workers in English schools, including teaching assistants, nursery nurses, special needs staff and dinner ladies.

Christina McAnea, Unison’s head of education and lead negotiator, said: "This displays the utter contempt this coalition government has for low-paid workers, trade unions and in particular for the staff in schools delivering essential education services.

"We have been asking them since May to talk to us about this. They say publically they want to maintain an education partnership with all the unions representing school staff, yet we hear the news through the media.

"School support staff are predominantly low-paid women who are committed and passionate about their job and this government demonstrates their utter contempt for them by refusing to even meet the unions to discuss this."