Leaked document also reveals list of 177 quangos that could be scrapped as result of public spending cuts

CITB-Construction Skills could be privatised as part of the coalition government’s so-called bonfire of the quangos, according to a Daily Telegraph report.

A list obtained by the paper showed 177 quangos could be scrapped as part of the government’s cost cutting measures.

It also said the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board would be privatised as part of the plans.

Mark Farrar, chief executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills said: “If the list is to be believed, CITB-ConstructionSkills is one of the bodies to be privatised.

“We had no prior warning of this and it is unclear at the moment if the leaked list is the final one - or what is meant by ’privatisation’ in our case. We have good relations with government and have a number of meetings in the diary with Mark Prisk MP, Construction Minister and John Hayes, Minister for Educations, Skills and Lifelong Learning, where we will endeavour to clarify our position.”

“Our main focus is to make sure that we add value to our industry in the most effective way. Over the last eighteen months we have streamlined our operation and, this week, we have been looking at a range of options for our future with our industry-led Board. We will take the opportunity to discuss this further with the Board on 12 October.”