HC Deb 21 March 1997 vol 292 cc1004-7W
Dr. Wright

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; if he will list those bodies which(a) admit members of the public to all board and committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21444]

Mr. Streeter

The Lord Chancellor's Department sponsors two such bodies: the Legal Aid Board and the Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board. Both have a statutory basis. However, the latter has been inactive since March 1992 when the Lord Chancellor announced his decision to postpone implementation of the authorised practitioners scheme.

The Legal Aid Board does not, nor is it required to, admit members of the public to board or committee meetings or hold open meetings for the public.

Dr. Wright

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required to(a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from. [21742]

Mr. Streeter

Of the Lord Chancellor's Department's advisory bodies appearing in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1996", the Insolvency Rules Committee and Land Registration Rule Committee have to be consulted about relevant rules and the Council on Tribunals must be consulted before procedural rules are made for any tribunal specified in schedule 1 to the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992 and on procedural rules made by the Lord Chancellor or the Lord Advocate concerning statutory inquiries.

The Government are not required to publish their response to advice from these bodies.

Although there is no legal requirement to consult the Advisory Council on Public Records, it generally is consulted on legislation affecting public records.

The County Court Rule Committee, Supreme Court Rule Committee, Family Proceedings Rule Committee and Crown Court Rule Committee actually make rules and the Lord Chancellor is a member of all but the first.

Dr. Wright

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department(a) have a statutory base, (b) publish their advice to Government, (c) publish an annual report and (d) lay an annual report before Parliament; and if she will indicate in each instance whether this is under a statutory requirement. [21720]

Mr. Streeter

The following advisory non-departmental public bodies appear under my Department's name in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1996":

  • Insolvency Rules 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
  • 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 (NI)
  • Advisory Committees on General Commissioners of Income Tax
  • Advisory Committees on JPs in England (excluding the Duchy of Lancaster) and Wales
  • Judicial Studies Board
  • Honorary Investment Advisory Committee.

All but the last seven have a statutory base.

(a) None is under a statutory requirement to publish its advice to Government; (b) 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. The Judicial Studies Board also publishes an annual report, but this is not under a statutory requirement; (c) apart from that of the Judicial Studies Board, all of the annual reports in (b) are laid before Parliament by the Lord Chancellor, under a statutory requirement.

The Legal Aid Advisory Committee (NI) 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.

The other bodies do not publish advice or produce annual reports.

Dr. Wright

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department(a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21705]

Mr. Streeter

For the advisory non-departmental public bodies listed under my Department in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies 1996", the answers are as follows:

  1. (a) none.
  2. (b) The following advisory bodies have carried out public consultation exercises:
    • the Supreme Court Rule Committee
    • the County Court Rule Committee
    • the Family Proceedings Rule Committee
    • the Law Commission
    • the Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct the Judicial Studies Board.
  3. (c) the Supreme Court Rule Committee, the County Court Rule Committee and the Family Proceedings Rule Committee regularly consult with individuals and organisations which have a professional or commercial interest in the amendment of rules of court.
    • The Law Commission do conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests but this is encompassed within (b) above.
  4. (d) none.
  5. (e) none.
  6. (f) none.

There is no statutory requirement for these bodies in these areas.