§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department are under a statutory requirement to(a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament, and if he will list those with a statutory base. [21595]
Mr. John M. TaylorThe Lord Chancellor's Department and the Northern Ireland Court Service sponsor the following advisory non-departmental public bodies:
- Insolvency Rule Committee
- County Court Rule Committee
- Supreme Court Rule Committee
- Land Registration Rule Committee
- Family Proceedings Rule Committee
- Crown Court Rule Committee
- Advisory Council on Public Records
- Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct Council on Tribunals
- Law Commission
Northern Ireland Court Service:
- Legal Aid Advisory Committee (NI)
- Advisory Committees on General Commissioners of Income Tax (NI)
- Advisory Committees on JPs in Northern Ireland
- Advisory Committees on Juvenile Court Lay Panel
- Advisory Committees on General Commissioners of Income Tax
- Advisory Committees on JPs in England (excluding the Duchy of Lancaster) and Wales
- Judicial Studies Board
All but the last six have a statutory basis.
None is under a statutory requirement to publish its advice to Government.
The Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct, the Law Commission and the Council on Tribunals are all required by statute to make annual reports to the Lord Chancellor. While there is no statutory requirement on the Advisory Council on Public Records to submit an annual report, there is a requirement that any report by it to the Lord Chancellor should be included in the Public Record Office's own annual report, for which there is a statutory requirement. All these annual reports are laid before Parliament by the Lord Chancellor.
The Legal Aid Advisory Committee (Northern Ireland) is required to consider the Law Society's annual report on legal aid in Northern Ireland and the Lord Chancellor is required to lay before Parliament a copy of any comments or recommendations made by the committee.