HL Deb 05 June 2000 vol 613 cc138-41WA
Lord Hardy of Wath

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Chancellor on 12 April 2000 (WA 41), when a further announcement will be made on part-time judicial appointments to tribunals. [HL2665]

The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)

On 12 April 2000, I announced that the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Social Security and I had agreed with the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, new arrangements for part-time judicial appointments. Similar arrangements have now been put in place for an additional range of part-time tribunal appointments for which I am responsible and for appointments made by the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, the Secretary of State for Health, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the President of the Council and the Home Secretary.

I am also pleased to announce that for those tribunals which sit in Scotland, but where responsibility for appointments remains wholly or partly the responsibility of Westminster Ministers, the Lord President of the Court of Session has agreed to assume the role that the Lord Chief Justices have already agreed to for appointments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In practice this will mean that the Lord President will have to concur in all decisions to remove or not to renew an appointment.

Where Scottish and Welsh Ministers are now consulted on appointments to tribunals in accordance with the relevant statutory provisions or devolution concordats, they will also be consulted on removals from office, and decisions not to renew appointments.

These changes will come into effect immediately.

I am placing in the Libraries of both Houses a joint statement signed by myself and the Lord President setting out the arrangements for the following tribunals, which may sit in Scotland:

  • Part-time Immigration Adjudicators
  • Part-time members of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal
  • Part-time members of the Income and Corporation Taxes Tribunal
  • Deputy Special Commissioners for Income Tax Commissioners
  • Part-time members of the unified appeals service
  • Deputy Social Security and Child Support Commissioners
  • Part-time President and Chairmen of the Transport Tribunal
  • Deputy Traffic Commissioners

I am also placing in the Libraries of both Houses joint statements signed by the specific Minister and by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales covering the following fixed-term appointments to tribunals:

Lord Chancellor

  • Part-time President and Chairmen of the Transport Tribunal
  • Part-time President and Vice President and Chairmen of the Rent Assessment Panels
  • Part-time Commons Commissioners Arbitrators for the Motor Insurance Bureau
    • WA 140
  • Part-time Agricultural Arbitrators
  • Part-time members of the Agricultural Land Tribunals
  • Part-time members of the Mental Health Review Tribunals
  • Part-time President and Chairmen of the Special Educational Needs Tribunal
  • Part-time Chairman and Deputy Chairmen National Health Service Tribunal
  • Legal panel Registered Homes Tribunal
  • Part-time Chairmen of the Betting Levy Appeal Tribunal
  • Part-time Chairmen of the Misuse of Drugs Tribunal

Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions

  • Part-time members of the Transport Tribunal
  • Part-time members of Rent Assessment Committees
  • Deputy Traffic Commissioners

Secretary of State for Education and Employment

  • Part-time members of the Special Educational Needs Tribunal

Secretary of State for Health

  • Part-time members of the National Health Service Tribunal

President of the Council

  • Part-time members of the Registered Homes Tribunal

Home Secretary

  • Part-time members of the Betting Levy Appeal Tribunal
  • Part-time members of the Misuse of Drugs Tribunal

I am also placing in the Libraries of both Houses joint statements signed by the specified Minister and by the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland covering the following fixed-term appointments to tribunals:

Lord Chancellor

  • Part-time Chairmen and members of the Appeal Tribunals
  • Part-time Chairmen of the Fair Employment Tribunal
  • Part-time members of the Tribunal established under Section 91 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998
  • Part-time members of the Reserve Forces Appeal Tribunal
  • Part-time Chairmen and members of the Mental Health Review Tribunal
  • Part-time Chairmen of the Registered Homes Tribunal
  • Part-time President and Chairmen of the Special Needs Tribunal

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

  • Part-time Chairmen and Commissioners of the Sentence Review Commission

The First and Deputy First Ministers of the New Assembly for Northern Ireland are being invited to agree that the new arrangements be brought before the Executive Committee with a view to a n announcement being made to the Assembly by the relevant Northern Ireland Ministers.