Central Government 'Control' - Its The Money Stupid (3)

After my earlier post in this series, the following email was received from Rob Bailey of APSE:

"APSE is an unincorporated association of its members who pay a subscription to join. I attach our annual report – see page 18 onwards for accounts.

We raise around 20% of our income from membership and the rest through selling services within the local government sector. Eric Pickles mentioned us in his speech, precisely because we are an example of an organisation that provides a service to local Councils that is a voluntary alternative to an imposed central government target culture.

Not sure what your definition of a quango is – but my understanding is : “An organization or agency that is financed by a government but that acts independently of it”. On this basis, if APSE is a quango then so are most chambers of commerce, small business associations and industry trade bodies. "

Here are the Annual Accounts for APSE for the year ending 31st March 2010

(click to enlarge)

The previous assertion by Ian Parker-Joseph on his comment on The Albion Alliance Presents and also by me that APSE was a quango is, to fair, incorrect and was in relation to the post Central Government 'Control' - Its The Money Stupid - and in that context we would apologise unreservedly. 

However, I can but repeat my original point to Rob Bailey; that if APSE's market is local authorities and the local government sector; and that their respective incomes are from public money, then it must follow that APSE's income is also from that source resulting in APSE being a legislatively created 'cuckoo' organisation feeding entirely from the public purse.