§ 2.46 p.m.
§ Lord GARDINERMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the office of Director of Law Reform in Northern Ireland has been abolished and who, if anyone, is now responsible for law reform in Northern Ireland.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION and SCIENCE (Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge)My Lords, the Director of Law Reform, whose post was created by administrative action in 1965, retired in 1973. Law reform subsequently became the responsibility of the head of the Office of Law Reform in the Northern Ireland Executive. Since the resignation of the Executive there has been a further change and law reform in the field of transferred legislation is now the responsibility of the Department of Finance, and in the reserved field is one for the Northern Ireland Office. A former first Parliamentary draftsman in Northern Ireland acts as a law reform consultant in the Department of Finance.
§ Lord GARDINERMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Would he agree that the former Director of Law Reform, whose name and address was known to everyone in Northern Ireland, discharged his office to everybody's general satisfaction? Is there any real reason why the name and address of the present official discharging his duties should not be known and publicised?
§ Lord DONALDSON of KINGS-BRIDGEMy Lords, I certainly agree with the first part of my noble and learned friend's statement and with the question. I see no reason whatever why it should not be known and publicised.