§ Mr. SutcliffeTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the merger of the children's work of the Official Solicitor, the Guardian ad Litem and Reporting Officer Service and Family Court Welfare Service will be finalised and the decision communicated to the relevant parties. [93786]
§ Mr. VazI am pleased to announce that the Lord Chancellor, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Health and the First Secretary for Wales have agreed to set up a new service, when legislative time permits, which will combine the present Family Court Welfare function provided by the Probation Service, the Children's Branch of the Official Solicitor's Department and the Guardian ad Litem and Reporting Officer Service which local authorities currently provide. The Lord Chancellor will take responsibility for the new service, which will be set up as a non-departmental public body. The service will cover England and Wales and will serve the High Court of the Family Division, County Courts, including Care Centres, and Family Proceedings Courts.
An inter-departmental project team to set up the new service has been established, which the Lord Chancellor's Department will lead. The project management framework to be adopted will ensure close liaison with the relevant services in creating the new organisation.