§ Lord Gainfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are their views on the report of the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)We welcome the Royal Commission's wide-ranging report, which is published today. The Government is grateful to Viscount Runciman and his colleagues for their endeavours, and we congratulate them on completing their work on time.
The report deals with difficult questions of great long-term importance, and it will no doubt provoke much public debate and discussion. The Government do not propose that there should now be a formal consultation period, but we will welcome any early observations on the report's proposals before reaching our own conclusions.
Although the Royal Commission's terms of reference extended only to England and Wales, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has indicated his intention to consider the implications of the report for the criminal justice system of Scotland. My right honourable friend the, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in consultation with the Lord Chancellor and the Attorney General, will similarly wish to consider the implications of the report in the context of Northern Ireland.