§ LORD GARDINERasked Her Majesty's Government:
What conclusions they have reached on the Report of the Committee on Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911; the report of Justice on the Prosecution Process; the Report of the Byers Committee on Privacy; the Report of the Law Commission on Forgery and Counterfeit Currency; the Report of Justice on a Suitor's Fund; the Report of the Ormrod Committee on Legal Education; the 21st, 22nd and 23rd Reports of the Committee on Legal Aid and Advice; the Report of the Law Reform Committee on Conversion and Detinue; the Report of the Law Commission of the Interpretation of Statutes; the Report of the Law Reform Committee on the Interpretation of Wills; the Report of the Law Commission on the Assessment of Damages in Personal Injury Litigation; the Report of the Justice Committee on Litigants in Person; the Report of the Law Commission on Administrative Law; the Report of the Committee on Death Certification and Coroners; the Report of the Committees on the Adoption of Children; the Report of the Committee on Sunday Observance; the Report of the Committee on Abortion Law; the Report of the Committee on Bankruptcy Law; the Report of the Law Commission on Taxation of Income and Gains Derived from Land; or of the Justice Report on Representation in the Magistrates' Courts.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORThe Report of the Committee on Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911: The Report is under consideration.
The Report of Justice on the Prosecution Process: The Report is under consideration.
The Report of the Younger Committee on Privacy: The Government have not yet completed their consideration of the Report, but they will announce their conclusions as soon as possible.
2298WAThe Report of the Law Commission on Forgery and Counterfeit Currency: Comments have been sought from the Departments concerned and these arc being studied. Further consultation with the Law Commission will then be necessary before the Government reach a conclusion.
The Report on Justice of the Suitors' Fund: No final conclusions have been reached. The Legal Aid Advisory Committee are studying certain proposals for reform of the financial conditions for legal aid which would go a long way towards relieving hardship in the situations discussed in the Justice report, and the Government will await the outcome of this study before giving further consideration to the report.
The Report of the Ormrod Committee on Legal Education: The Report is primarily concerned with matters within the jurisdiction of the legal professional institutions, which in consequence of the Report established the Advisory Committee on Legal Education in 1972.
The 21st, 22nd and 23rd Reports of the Committee on Legal Aid and Advice: The outstanding recommendations in the three reports are being studied as part of the general review referred to in the last of these reports.
The Report of the Law Reform Committee on Conversion and Detinue: Legislation will be introduced in due course.
The Report of the Law Commission on the Interpretation of Statutes: This report has received insufficient support to justify legislation.
The Report of the Law Reform Committee on the Interpretation of Wills: The Government have no plans for legislation on this subject.
The Report of the Law Commission on the Assessment of Damages in Personal Injury Litigation: The Government have at present reached no conclusion.
The Report of the Justice Committee on Litigants in Person: I am considering the report and will be getting in touch with my noble friend in due course.
The Report of the Law Commission on Administrative Law: No conclusion will be reached until the Law Commission's second report, on remedies in administrative law, has been received. Work has recently been resumed on this subject 2299WA and the report will be submitted as soon as resources permit.
The Report of the Committee on Death Certification and Coroners: The Government are considering the Report and hope to make a statement soon.
The Report of Committees on the Adoption of Children: The Government hope to introduce a Bill in the Autumn based broadly on the recommendations contained in the report and are carrying out extensive consultations with this end in view.
The Report of the Committee on Sunday Observance: Certain recommendations have already been implemented. The Government have no present plans for legislation on the outstanding recommendations.
The Report of the Committee on Abortion Law: Before reaching any decisions on the report of the Committee on the Working of the Abortion Act the Secretary of State for Social Services intends to await the outcome of the extensive consultation she is undertaking on the Committee's recommendations.
The Report of the Committee on Bankruptcy Law: The Government is broadly in agreement with the conclusion of the Blagden Committee that the basic structure of the bankruptcy law, apart from 2300WA that relating to discharge, is generally sound and well suited to its purpose. The Department of Trade and the Lord Chancellor's Department are considering the question of discharge with a view to legislation when Parliamentary time permits.
The Report of the Law Commission on Taxation of Income and Gains Derived from Land: The recommendations contained in the Report of the Law Commissions on Taxation of Income and Gains Derived from Land (insofar as they have not yet been acted upon) continue to be borne in mind.
The Justice Report on Representation in the Magistrates' Courts: Several of the recommendations of the Justice Report on the Unrepresented Defendant in Magistrates' Courts have been or are being implemented in substance. The Widgery Committee's criteria for the grant of legal aid were commended to courts by Home Office Circular in December 1972. Section 37 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972 placed restrictions on the imposition by magistrates' courts of first custodial sentences on unrepresented defendants. "Duty solicitor" schemes are already in operation in over twenty large towns and others are being considered.
House adjourned at seventeen minutes before eleven o'clock