The London Daily News

The coalition Government has begun the bonfire of the quangos, or the scaling back of vital state spending depending on how you view it.

The Government Office for London is to be mothballed saving £20m a year in spending.

The office, which has 200 staff, worked on crime prevention and community projects for the capital. No closure date has been set.

It was set up by the last conservative Prime Minister John Major in 1994 and has since been accused of duplicating work since the inception of the Greater London Authority.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said it would "save a lot of money by abolishing it".

He added:

"We are pulling things together to offer a way in which the mayor has more control for the destiny of the capital.

But we're also looking to ensure the boroughs get a fair deal out of this."

MP Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for London, said:

"What we are proposing doing is more efficient, is a better use of taxpayers' money and could save something like £12m in terms of admin costs.

The Mayor of London's office did not comment on the plans."