Tracker: The government’s proposed new public bodies

Labour promised to set up several public bodies in its election manifesto. But what has been delivered since their entry into government? What details do we have about their function and how they will be set up?

The Institute for Government’s report, How to set up a public body, sets out practical lessons from past case studies that will help ministers, senior civil servants and public body leaders to design and lead new bodies successfully. This is a complementary tracker that will be updated with details about Labour’s plans for several new public bodies – outlined in their manifesto, the King’s Speech, and since – as they emerge.

In this tracker, bodies are loosely grouped by their purposes, which reflect the government’s stated ambitions, including around clean energy, economic growth, and public services.

Great British Energy

Progress: Launched

GB Energy will not be an energy retail company but seeks to invest in, manage and operate clean energy projects alongside private sector firms. GB Energy will also partner with other bodies such as the Crown Estate, and the National Wealth Fund to support domestic clean energy supply chains.

GB Energy will be owned by the secretary of state for energy security and net zero and overseen by an independent board of industry leaders including its chair, Juergen Maier, a former chief executive of Siemens UK. ⁴⁴ GB Energy, ‘Leadership’, GB Energy, no date, www.gbe.gov.uk/leadership It aims to be self-financing in the long term but will initially be backed by £5.8 billion generated from windfall taxes on the profits of oil and gas companies.

Sponsoring department:
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Type of body:
Central government company, executive non-departmental public body

HQ:
Aberdeen

Initial funding:
£125m in 2025–26 (of a promised total of £5.8 billion) ⁴⁵ HM Treasury, Spending Review 2025, GOV.UK, 30 June 2025, www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document ⁴⁶ Ambrose J and Partington R, ‘GB Energy’s promised £8.3bn budget raided to pay for small nuclear reactors’, The Guardian, 11 June 2025, www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jun/11/gb-energy-83bn-of-funding-raided-to-pay-for-small-nuclear-reactors

Great British Energy – Nuclear

Great British Energy – Nuclear		Progress: Launched
Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N), launched as part of the ‘Powering Up Britain’ initiative, oversees the commissioning, design and management of nuclear energy projects within the UK. Formerly Great British Nuclear, GBE-N is responsible for delivering the government’s aim of providing up to 24GW of nuclear power by 2050. ⁴⁸ Great British Energy – Nuclear, Great British Nuclear: Overview, GOV.UK, 18 July 2023, www.gov.uk/government/publications/great-british-nuclear-overview/great-british-nuclear-overview
Sponsoring department: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero	Type of body: Executive non-departmental public body	HQ: London	Initial funding: £2.5bn

National Energy Systems Operator

Progress: Launched

The National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) oversees the planning and design of Great Britain’s electricity and gas networks. It will work alongside GB Energy to support the government’s clean energy mission by helping to connect new generation energy projects with the electricity grid.

NESO’s launch follows the acquisition of National Grid’s Electricity System Operator, which will be transferred to public ownership. The body will be chaired by former E.ON CEO Dr Paul Golby.

Sponsoring departments:
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Type of body:
Public corporation

HQ:
Warwick

Initial funding:
Acquired for £630m; funded through energy bills

National Wealth Fund

Progress: Launched

Labour has rebranded and expanded the UK Infrastructure Bank into the new National Wealth Fund, which it describes as ‘the UK’s impact investor’ and a cornerstone of its industrial strategy. It will invest in projects across the UK and advise – and lend to – local authorities. The National Wealth Fund will build on the existing capabilities and £22bn capital of the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), and also takes on its Leeds headquarters and board.

The fund will be allocated an additional £7.3bn, but it also aims to attract £3 private sector investment for every £1 of public money. It has been projected by government to generate an annual profit of £135m for the Exchequer by 2029–30. The fund will invest in five priority sectors: clean energy, digital, transport, water, and waste.

Sponsoring departments:
HM Treasury

Type of body:
Executive non-departmental public body

HQ:
Leeds

Initial funding:
£5.8 billion on top of £22bn existing UKIB resources ⁵⁰ HM Treasury, Spending Review 2025, op. cit., p. 20 and an extra £1.5bn in reserve

Industrial Strategy Advisory Council

Industrial Strategy Advisory Council		Progress: Launched
The Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (ISAC) was launched in December 2024. It follows in the footsteps of the previous Industrial Strategy Council which was established in November 2018 before being disbanded in 2021 under Boris Johnson. ISAC will consist of a committee of business leaders who will advise government on developing and delivering industrial strategy and measure progress towards its objectives. ISAC is currently chaired by Dame Clare Barclay DBE, the president of Enterprise and Industry EMEA at Microsoft.
Sponsoring departments: Department for Business and Trade	Type of body: Advisory non-departmental public body	HQ: London	Initial funding: Not specified

Great British Railways

Progress: Bill passing through parliament

Bringing rail into public ownership, Great British Railways (GBR) will be an independent body responsible for day-to-day operational delivery of railways. The government are aiming for a unified system that will deliver reliable, affordable and efficient services.

Private contracts will be folded into GBR as they expire or are broken, and the body is expected to be delivered by the end of Labour’s first term in office. The CEO of Network Rail and leaders within the Department for Transport have convened the body in shadow form ahead of the Passenger Railway Service (Public Ownership) Act 2024 becoming law. ⁵² Department for Transport, ‘Great British Railways and the public ownership programme’, GOV.UK, 8 December 2025, www.gov.uk/guidance/great-british-railways

Sponsoring departments:
Department for Transport

Type of body:
Public corporation

HQ:
Derby

Initial funding:
Not specified

Passenger Standards Authority

Passenger Standards Authority		Progress: Bill passing through parliament
Described as a ‘passenger watchdog’, the Passenger Standards Authority will independently monitor the service performance of Great British Railways against a range of yet to be defined measures. Acting as a ‘one-stop shop’ for everything relating to passenger interests, it will consolidate the passenger-focused functions of the Office for Rail and Road, which it will work alongside. It will also absorb Transport Focus and the Rail Ombudsman.
Sponsoring departments: Department for Transport	Type of body: Not specified	HQ: Not specified	Initial funding: Not specified

Skills England

Progress: Launched

Skills England aims to develop a skilled workforce and improve productivity. It will do so by analysing skills needs on a national and local level; ensuring that there is training and qualifications available to address these gaps; and working with Combined Authorities to construct local ‘skills systems’. It will also work closely with the Industrial Strategy Council to align their strategies. It will also advise the Department for Education on how to simplify access to skills to boost economic growth.

Skills England was launched formally in June 2025 and is chaired by Phil Smith CBE. ⁵⁵ Skill England, ‘Our governance’, GOV.UK, no date. www.gov.uk/government/organisations/skills-england/about/our-governance

Sponsoring departments:
Department for Education

Type of body:
Executive agency

HQ:
Coventry

Initial funding:
Funded by skills levy of over £3 billion ⁵⁶ House of Commons, Hansard, ‘Apprenticeships and Skills Training’, Statement HCWS672, 2 June 2025, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-06-02/hcws672

Local Audit Office

Progress: Publicly announced

As part of the government’s aim of devolving new powers to strategic authorities, it has announced the establishment of a statutory and independent Local Audit Office. The LAO will have responsibility for coordinating the English local audit system and ensuring accountability and value for money of councils and other local bodies, acting as a leader in a sector previously criticised for being piecemeal and fragmented.

The government expects the LAO to be legally established by Autumn 2026 and fully resourced and operating by 2027/28. ⁵⁸ Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, ‘Local audit reform: a strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England’, GOV.UK, 9 April 2025, www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-audit-reform-a-strategy-for-overhauling-the-local-audit-system-in-england/local-audit-reform-a-strategy-for…

Sponsoring departments: Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government

Type of body:
Not yet announced

HQ:
Not yet announced

Initial funding:
Not yet announced

National Data Library

National Data Library		Progress: Publicly announced
The government’s manifesto pledged the creation of a National Data Library that will support research and the use of data in public services. The library will link existing datasets with the aim of facilitating better use of data in policy making and curating interconnected data for public benefit.
Sponsoring departments: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	Type of body: Not specified	HQ: Not specified	Initial funding: Not specified

National Care Service

Progress: Publicly announced

The government has announced plans to create a National Care Service that will aim to reform the sector by delivering local services at consistent national standards. It will also think long term about how best to manage an ageing population, integrate health and care services, and move towards a preventative system.

Baroness Louise Casey has been tasked with leading a commission which will produce a 10-year plan for the National Care Service in 2026, and a further report on long-term recommendations in 2028. ⁶⁰ Department of Health and Social Care, ‘Independent commission into adult social care: terms of reference’, GOV.UK, 11 July 2025, www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-commission-into-adult-social-care-terms-of-reference/independent-commission-into-adult-social-care-ter…

Sponsoring departments:
Department for Health and Social Care

Type of body:
Not specified

HQ:
Not specified

Initial funding:
Not specified

Fair Work Agency

Fair Work Agency		Progress: Bill passing through parliament
The Fair Work Agency (FWA) will consolidate existing employment rights enforcement functions, such as around the national minimum wage, as well as new functions enforcing holiday pay and statutory sick pay. It aims to support businesses to comply with employment law, but will also have powers to investigate and take action against employers in breach of the law. The FWA will absorb two existing public bodies, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and the Director of Labour Market Enforcement.
Sponsoring departments: Department for Business and Trade	Type of body: Executive agency	HQ: London	Initial funding: Not specified

Adult Social Care Negotiating Body

Adult Social Care Negotiating Body		Progress: Bill passing through parliament
The Adult Social Care Negotiating Body is due to be established via secondary legislation in 2026 after the Employment Rights Bill is passed. Its purpose will be to act as a platform for those who work in the social care sector and empower them to negotiate constructively with employers to achieve a fair pay agreement. This is part of the government’s plan to ‘Make Work Pay’ by redressing historic issues of low pay and poor working conditions in the sector. ⁶² Department of Health and Social Care, ‘Fair pay agreement process in adult social care – consultation document’, GOV.UK, 20 October 2025, www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fair-pay-agreement-process-in-adult-social-care/fair-pay-agreement-process-in-adult-social-care-consultation-docu…, Section 1
Sponsoring departments: Department for Health and Social Care	Type of body: Advisory non-departmental public body	HQ: Not specified	Initial funding: Not specified

School Support Staff Negotiating Body

School Support Staff Negotiating Body		Progress: Bill passing through parliament
The government is reinstating the previously abolished School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), which will have a remit to negotiate pay and terms and conditions on behalf of the education secretary and to make recommendations on training and career progression for support staff in state-funded schools. The body will comprise employee and employer representatives, a representative from DBT, and an independent chair.
Sponsoring departments: Department for Education	Type of body: Executive agency	HQ: Not specified	Initial funding: Not specified

Infected Blood Compensation Authority

Infected Blood Compensation Authority		Progress: Launched
The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) was founded to deliver the Blood Compensation Scheme, launched based on the recommendations made by the Infected Blood Inquiry. IBCA processes claims and pays compensation to those affected by HIV and hepatitis B and C via contaminated blood.
Sponsoring departments: Cabinet Office	Type of body: Executive non-departmental public body	HQ: Newcastle	Initial funding: Not specified

Defence Housing Service

Defence Housing Service		Progress: Publicly announced
The new Defence Housing Service will oversee the management of military housing. 36,000 military family homes will be brought back into public ownership as part of the government’s Defence Housing Strategy. The service will also aim to accelerate the building of new military accommodation on MoD-owned land.
Sponsoring departments: Ministry of Defence	Type of body: Not specified	HQ: Not specified	Initial funding: £9 billion over the next decade

Border Security Command

Progress: Launched

One of the first bodies to be launched by the Labour government in July 2024, the Border Security Command is designed to tackle immigration crime including small boat crossings. It will coordinate the work of other agencies such as the National Crime Agency, the Immigration Enforcement and Border Force, and the police. It has been given initial funding to invest in monitoring technology, improved methods of intelligence collection and additional personnel across the system.

The Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, will report directly to the home secretary.

Sponsoring departments:
Home Office

Type of body:
Executive agency

HQ:
London

Initial funding:
£75 million

National Centre of Policing

National Centre of Policing		Progress: Publicly announced
The Home Office has announced plans to create a new body bringing together support and specialist functions including forensics, aviation, and IT, in order to improve the standards and efficiency of policing.
Sponsoring departments: Home Office	Type of body: Not specified	HQ: Not specified	Initial funding: Not specified

Ethics and Integrity Commission

Ethics and Integrity Commission		Progress: Publicly announced
Labour established an independent Ethics and Integrity Commission (EIC) in July 2025 to enforce ethical standards in government, delivering on one of its manifesto commitments. The EIC replaced the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL), expanding on its remit to oversee and promote the Nolan Principles. Doug Chalmers, the former chair of the CSPL, has remained in post as the chair of the EIC. The commission will also advise the government on ethics in public life by conducting inquiries and coordinate with other existing ethics bodies within government and parliament. ⁶⁵ Rhodes C, Ethics and Integrity Commission, House of Commons Library, 22 July 2025, https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10310/
Sponsoring departments: Cabinet Office	Type of body: Advisory non-departmental public body ⁶⁶ House of Lords, Hansard, ‘Ethics and Integrity Commission and Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards: Management’, PQ HL9881, 24 July 2025, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-07-24/HL9881/?utm	HQ: Not specified	Initial funding: Not specified

Independent Football Regulator

Progress: Launched

The Independent Football Regulator was launched following the Football Governance Act 2025. ⁶⁹ UK Parliament, Football Governance Act 2025, www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/21/enacted Its strategic purpose is to ensure the sustainability of English football. It currently has powers to oversee clubs in England’s top five men’s tiers.

The regulator’s three core objectives are to ensure that football clubs are financially sustainable, to enhance the resilience of the English football system, and to safeguard the heritage of clubs. Examples of how it aims to do this include preventing clubs from joining ‘breakaway leagues’ such as the proposed European Super League, and strengthening tests for prospective owners to prevent mismanagement. The regulator will be chaired by David Kogan OBE. ⁷⁰ Independent Football Regulator, ‘David Kogan OBE confirmed as Independent Football Regulator Chair and Non-Executives appointed’, GOV.UK, 14 November 2025, www.gov.uk/government/news/david-kogan-obe-confirmed-as-independent-football-regulator-chair-and-non-executives-appointed

Sponsoring departments:
Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Type of body:
Executive non-departmental public body

HQ:
Manchester

Initial funding:
Budget not specified, but it will be funded through a levy on licensed clubs

Single Construction Regulator

Single Construction Regulator		Progress: Publicly announced
The government announced its intentions to establish a single, unified regulator of the construction industry as part of its response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. The existing Building Safety Regulator (BSR) will be transitioned out of the Health and Safety Executive within DWP and into MHCLG, ⁷⁴ House of Commons, Hansard, ‘Changes to the Building Safety Regulator’, Statement HCWS749, 30 June 2025, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-06-30/hcws749 and its powers merged with those of the Office for Product Safety and Standards. ⁷⁵ Messenger J, ‘Government to introduce new single construction regulator as part of final Grenfell Tower Inquiry reforms’, 26 February 2025, www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/government-to-introduce-new-single-construction-regulator-as-part-of-final-grenfell-tower-inquiry-reforms-90717 A Single Regulator Advisory Board has been set up within MHCLG to consider the scope and functions of the proposed regulator. ⁷⁶ Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Single construction regulator prospectus, GOV.UK, 17 December 2025, www.gov.uk/government/consultations/single-construction-regulator-prospectus
Sponsoring departments: Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government	Type of body: Executive agency	HQ: Not specified	Initial funding: Not specified

Potential future public bodies

Labour has also stated plans to strengthen standards, protections and regulation in other areas. These might be carried out by units or offices within existing government departments but could also result in separate public bodies that have not been publicly announced yet. These include the Armed Forces Commissioner, an independent advocate for the armed forces personnel and their families; regulation of the private rented sector via the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman; and a possible regulator for artificial intelligence.

There are also instances where the government has chosen not to establish arm’s-length bodies in favour of units within departments. These include:

The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) will function as a joint unit in the Cabinet Office and the Treasury. ⁷⁹ National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, ‘About us’, GOV.UK, no date. www.gov.uk/government/organisations/national-infrastructure-and-service-transformation-authority/about NISTA will bring infrastructure strategy and delivery under the same roof to address systemic delivery challenges hindering the growth of the UK’s infrastructure sector. It is responsible for developing and delivering the government’s 10-year infrastructure strategy. NISTA was formed by the merger of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) with an existing public body, the National Infrastructure Commission (an executive agency).
The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) has been launched within DSIT. The RIO’s stated mission is to “ensure that regulation enables innovation in science and technology rather than obstructing it”. Its four priority areas are space, AI in healthcare, engineering biology, and drones and autonomous technology. ⁸⁰ Regulatory Innovation Office, Regulatory Innovation Office: One Year On, GOV.UK, 21 October 2025, www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-innovation-office-report-one-year-on It will incorporate the existing functions of the Regulatory Horizons Council and the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund.

This is not an exhaustive list. We will continue to update this tracker as the government announces further plans for new public bodies.