The future of the Environment Agency (EA), the public body responsible in England and Wales to improve the environment, and to promote sustainable development, has been thrown into uncertainty today after it was found to be on a leaked list (above) of non-departmental public bodies which the Conservative/LibDem coalition government wants to abolish.

The list was leaked today (Friday, September 24) to the BBC.

A spokesman for DEFRA, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, declined to comment when contacted by FF&FT.

The Cabinet Office has ordered a leak inquiry and says it regrets any "uncertainty" for employees. The list of public bodies up for either abolition, mergers or other reforms, was included in a letter from Cabinet Office Minister, Francis Maude, to Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister.

The list indicates 180 quangos will be abolished and 124 merged. A further 338 will be retained, although 56 of them will be subject to "substantial reform". The future of another 100 bodies, including the EA, is yet to be agreed, according to the letter.