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Northern Ireland: Youth Justice Framework Document
Lord Rooker: The Minister of State for Northern Ireland (Paul Goggins) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
Copies of the new Framework Document for the Youth Justice Agency, an executive agency of the Northern Ireland Office, are available in the Vote Office.
This document has been reviewed and revised in line with Cabinet Office guidance on framework documents to ensure that it reflects current best practice in the management and corporate governance of agencies. It has received formal Treasury approval.
Office of the Public Guardian: Annual Report and Accounts
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): My right honourable friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Jack Straw) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The Office of the Public Guardian’s annual report and accounts for 2007-08 have been laid before Parliament
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Personal Injury Claims: Response to Consultation
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Bridget Prentice) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The Government have today published Response to Consultation: Case track limits and the claims process for personal injury claims. It summarises the responses received to the consultation paper and sets out the next steps.
Having carefully considered the responses, the Government have decided to establish a new claims process which will apply to road traffic accident personal injury claims valued at between £1,000 and £10,000. Road traffic accident cases constitute approximately 75 per cent of personal injury claims. This new streamlined procedure provides for early notification of a claim; promotes early admissions of liability and early settlements; and removes duplication of work from the process. It introduces fixed time periods and fixed recoverable costs.
The Government have concluded that there should be no change to the small claims limits, including those for personal injury and housing disrepair claims, but that the fast track limit should be increased to £25,000.
Copies of the response have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and can also be obtained free on the Ministry's website at www.justice.gov.uk/publications/cpO807.htm.
Copies are also available in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office.
Schools: Inspection
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Lord Adonis): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (Ed Balls)has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
School inspection plays an important role in both the publicly funded and independent sectors to ensure quality of provision, to protect the interests of pupils and to ensure that parents have reliable information about schools. The Education and Skills Bill now provides an opportunity for us to secure the high quality of independent school inspection and give this system a clear legislative foundation.
Independent schools in England are required to meet the statutory standards set out in the Education
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We have therefore proposed to take powers to set criteria for the approval and withdrawal of approval of inspectorates. The proposed criteria cover issues such as the qualifications and experience of inspectors, the inspection framework, management and quality assurance of inspections, public confidence in inspectorates, complaints handling, financial viability and the schools to be covered by new inspectorates. Our proposed criteria were set out in a consultation document published on 21 January 2008 and we have published our consultation response at www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/conResults.cfm?consultationId=1528 today. Responses to the consultation have been positive and constructive and I am grateful to all those who have participated.
In its response to the consultation and subsequently, Ofsted has provided evidence that the quality of independent inspection and public confidence in this system will best be promoted by a system of larger inspectorates. It concludes that such a system will make it easier to secure consistent assessment of standards, help to prevent the inspector body from becoming overfamiliar with the school groups with which it was associated and promote public confidence about an inspectorate’s breadth of perspective and genuine independence from the schools that it inspects.
This analysis has led us to re-examine the criteria for size, diversity and the composition of the inspectorial workforce that we consulted on in January. We are therefore today launching a supplementary, limited consultation with those who responded to the initial consultation and other key stakeholders, in which we propose a higher minimum threshold of 350 schools. I have placed a copy of this further consultation in the Library of the House.
Security Industry Authority: Annual Report
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime Reduction (Vernon Coaker) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I am pleased to announce that the annual report 2007-08 and accounts of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) will be laid before Parliament today and published on 28 July 2008. Copies of the report will be available in the Printed Paper Office on publication.
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Tote: Sale
Lord Davies of Oldham: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Gerry Sutcliffe) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
In my Written Ministerial Statement on 5 March, I said that the Government intended to prepare for an open-market sale of the Tote, and would take advice on strategic options. I also announced that the overriding criterion for a sale of the Tote would be to maximise value for the taxpayer and that the Government would honour their commitment to return half of the net proceeds of any open-market sale to racing subject to the requirements of European state aid and competition rules.
The Government remain of the view that it is appropriate that they remove themselves from detailed involvement in the affairs of the racing and bookmaking industries. They are also keen to give certainty to the Tote and its businesses so that they can develop and flourish for the benefit of their staff and racing.
The Government have received preliminary views from their advisers on the strategic options available with regard to the Tote. It is clear that the Tote is a highly attractive asset which would enjoy significant interest if brought to market in an open auction.
However, the Government will need to be satisfied that it is right to proceed with a sale in the light of current market conditions. The Government intend to commission detailed work on the Tote to be undertaken during the course of the summer, which would provide the necessary groundwork to launch a sale in the autumn. This work will also provide further data on the company which would enable the Government and the Tote Board to consider how best to create further value inside the Tote if, in the light of market conditions, the Government decided in the autumn not to proceed to a sale at that time.
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Finally, the Government would like to place on record their warm appreciation of the fortitude and professionalism of the Tote's staff up and down the country at this time. If a sale of the Tote were to proceed, the Government would emphasise in any sale documentation and process both the quality of the Tote's workforce and the north-west as an excellent business destination.
Wilton Park: Annual Report and Accounts
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): My honourable friend the Minister for Europe (Jim Murphy) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Wilton Park is an academically independent executive agency of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Its annual report and accounts for 2007-08 are laid before Parliament today.
Wilton Park continues to deliver high-value conferences contributing to our overall foreign policy effort. Wilton Park continues to achieve high ratings from participants and sponsors on the value of Wilton Park conferences.
Wilton Park’s performance against agreed targets for 2007-08 is shown below:
| 2007-08 Target | 2007-08 Performance | |
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