§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what equal opportunities impact assessment under the Government guidelines set out in Policy Appraisal for Equal Treatment has been made of the Access to Justice Bill; if he will publish the assessment; and if he will make a statement. [81555]
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§ Mr. HoonThe Government guidelines were issued only after the reform proposals had been settled and the White Paper published. To undertake a single impact assessment of the Access to Justice Bill as a whole would be impracticable because the Bill establishes broad frameworks within which detailed policies will be developed and implemented. We believe a more practicable way forward is to conduct assessments, where appropriate, as individual policies are developed and implemented. This will not only provide more focused assessments, but ensure they occur nearer in time to implementation.