§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that(a) have been disbanded, indicating when they were disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months, (c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if he will indicate in (c)(ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies his Department currently is responsible for. [90681]
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Lord Chancellor's Department The Court Service Northern Ireland Court Service HM Land Registry Public Trust Office Public Records Office Leased - 238 - - - - Owned 15 333 1 43 - - Diesel - 550 1 42 - - Petrol 15 21 - 1 - - Engine cc 1200 - 1 - - - - 1400 2 - - - - - 1500 - 4 - - - - 1600 2 9 - - - - 1700 3 171 - - - - 1800 7 103 - 32 - - 1900 - 157 - 3 - - 2000 - 121 - 2 - - 2100 - 1 - - - - 2200 1 3 - - - - 2500 - 1 - 6 - - 5816 - - 1 - - -
§ Mr. VazTwo of the Lord Chancellor's non-departmental public bodies have been disbanded since 1 May 1997: the Supreme Court Rule Committee and the County Court Rule Committee were disbanded on 26 April 1999. Their functions have been transferred to the Civil Procedure Rule Committee. That Rule Committee and the Civil Justice Council, which were both provided for by the Civil Procedure Act 1997, were set up after 1 May 1997.
Under the provisions of the Access to Justice Bill, the Legal Aid Board and the Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct would both be disbanded within the next 12 months, but their functions will be included in the functions of their replacement bodies, respectively the Legal Services Commission and the Legal Services Consultative Panel.
Three of the Advisory Committees on Justices of the Peace have been amalgamated into one committee.
Non-departmental public bodies are listed in the Cabinet Office Publication "Public Bodies". The Government are committed to keeping the number of NDPBs to a minimum and to ensuring that those which remain are open, accountable and effective. Many of the new NDPBs established across Whitehall since 1 May are essential in helping the Government deliver their Manifesto commitments.