DCMS is responsible for 63 public bodies that help deliver the department’s strategic aim and objectives. These include three public corporations, two public broadcasting authorities, one executive agency and 57 non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).
The type of classification reflects a body's funding arrangements, functions and kinds of activity.
Public corporations are market bodies that derive more than 50% of their income from the sale of goods and services. They are owned or controlled by central government but enjoy a lower degree of government control than NDPBs.
Public Broadcasting Authorities is a unique public body category currently encompassing the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru, the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority).
An executive agency operates within a government department but is a separate management unit. Our only executive agency is the Royal Parks Agency.
Non departmental public bodies (NDPB) are defined as bodies that have a role in the process of government but are not a government department or part of one and operate at an arm's length from Ministers. There are a number of types of NDPB, they include Executive NDPBs, Advisory NDPBs and Tribunal NDPBs.
For further information on the public bodies DCMS is responsible for (including financial and statistical data) please refer to the DCMS publication DCMS Public Bodies Directory 2007.
