§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the interdepartmental working group on the reform of manslaughter has met; how many further meetings of the group are expected; when he expects the group to finalise its report and proposals; when he expects to publish the digest of responses to the consultation paper; who is represented on the interdepartmental group; and if he will make a statement on progress. [37956]
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§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 27 February 2002]The interdepartmental working group was attended by representatives from: the Home Office, the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Attorney-General's Office, the Law Commission, the Cabinet Office, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Health and Safety Executive, the Department of Health, the National Health Service Executive Headquarters, the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Food Standards Agency. Since the end of the consultation period, September 2000, the group as a whole has met three times. There were also several formal and informal meetings to take forward specific issues attended by the relevant representatives. There will be no further meeting of the entire group and I hope to receive their report in the near future.
We will be publishing a digest of the responses to the consultation paper shortly.