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NORTHERN IRELAND
Social Security Agency
Sir John Cope: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the review of the Social Security Agency. [26415]
Sir Patrick Mayhew: On 19 October 1994, I announced the review of the Social Security Agency--SSA--in the House of Commons. Each next steps agency undergoes a periodic review to evaluate performance, to reconsider in a prior options study whether agency status is the best way of doing the job and to revise the framework within which it operates.
I am pleased to announce that the evaluation report of the agency's performance since it was established in July 1991 has been published today. The overall conclusion of the evaluation is that, in keeping with the principles of next steps, the quality of service to the public has improved and social benefits have been delivered in a more efficient and effective way.
The main conclusions of the prior options report are that the SSA should remain a next steps agency within the Department of Health and Social Services. There is no scope for abolition or privatisation, nor is there any evidence to suggest that wholesale contractorisation of its functions is at present feasible or likely to improve value for money for the taxpayer.
The conclusion on wholesale contractorisation does not mean that there are no opportunities for increasing competition within the organisation. The agency is already involved with the private sector in a number of areas, such as encashment services, management training, information technology and ancillary services. In particular, it is involved as co-sponsor with the Benefits Agency and Post Office Counters Ltd. in a private finance initiative to replace existing methods of payment at post offices with a benefit card. The agency also has a market-testing strategy, which will result in its support functions being subject to the market-testing process in line with recommendations of a consultancy report.
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The review goes on to recommend a number of further steps which the agency should take to improve its efficiency and effectiveness, consistent with the Government reform initiative and the Northern Ireland civil service programme for continual improvement. These include the development of a comprehensive strategy for achieving efficiency improvements through involving the private sector in all aspects of its business, including benefit administration; the continued implementation of its market-testing strategy, pending more comprehensive strategy for involving the private sector; and the examination of the scope for developing internal competition, including benchmarking and purchaser/provider relationships.
In conclusion, the review has highlighted the significant improvements in customer service and efficiency which the agency has achieved since its establishment in 1991. The chief executive and his staff are to be commended for these achievements. The recommendations of the review are designed to build on these successes. I am placing a copy of the evaluation report and a copy of the executive summary of the prior options report in the Library today. Work is continuing on a revised framework document, and I shall arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library in due course.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the local authority associations and the Association of British Insurers concerning the adequacy of insurance cover against local authority negligence claims in connection with the publication of independent reports commissioned by local authorities. [25888]
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if people who are given exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom are also given permission to seek employment. [25571]
Mr. Byers:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 April, Official Report, column 365, if he will list the other organisations that were invited to tender for the contract to advise on the competences required for probation officers on appointment; who was responsible for awarding the contract to KPMG; which civil servants were involved in the evaluation of the tenders; and if the contract was awarded to the lowest cost tender. [25908]
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Mr. Sackville:
The following firms were invited to tender for the probation officers' competences contract: Gaby Braun; Christie Associates; Shirley Fletcher Associates; KPMG; Prime Research; and Glenda Taylor Associates.
Staff for the probation training unit in the then C6 division of the Home Office evaluated the tenders received. The head of the unit, with the agreement of the head of the division, authorised the award of the contract of KPMG, which submitted the lowest cost tender.
Sir Ivan Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached following the review of the law of murder; and if he will make a statement. [26479]
Mr. Maclean:
The review has been completed and a copy of the report from the interdepartmental steering group has been placed in the Library. The steering group comprised officials from the Home Office, the Scottish Office, the Northern Ireland Office, the Ministry of Defence, the legal secretariat to the Law Officers and the Crown Office.
The review's task was to consider whether there should be an intermediate verdict, between murder and aquittal, where a defendant had killed in self-defence or to prevent a crime. It was also asked to consider whether any such intermediate verdict, or any other change to the law, should apply only to members of the police and armed forces.
The review came down firmly against any separate provision for the police and armed forces. It would be objectionable in principle and very difficult to achieve in practice in any defensible and coherent way. The review did not consider it desirable or practicable for guidance on the use of lethal force--the yellow card--to be given legislative status. These views were supported by those members of the police and armed forces whom the review consulted. The Government agree with these conclusions of the review.
The review identified three broad options for a change in the law, but concluded that only one, a verdict of manslaughter where a defendant had overreacted and used unreasonable force, might provide a way forward. That is the option which previous studies have proposed, except that the review considered a refinement that a murder verdict could remain available for a grossly unreasonable overreaction. The review recognised that this option would not necessarily ensure better justice and did not itself come to a firm conclusion.
We have considered carefully the arguments for and against the options identified by the review, but have concluded that the case has not been made that they would improve either the certainty or quality of the criminal law. The police representative associations that the review consulted did not suggest a change in the law in this area. If the option identified by the review as providing a possible way forward were adopted, the difference between a manslaughter and murder verdict would depend on an assessment of whether the defendant honestly believed that the level of force which he used was justified. Where the court or jury were satisfied that the defendant honestly believed that the force he or she used
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was justified, the defendant could be convicted only of manslaughter, no matter how unreasonable the force. We do not believe that this would be satisfactory. Equally, however, adopting the refinement considered by the review, and retaining a verdict of murder for those who had used grossly unreasonable force, would risk overcomplicating the law and requiring juries to draw unrealistically narrow distinctions.
For these reasons, we are not persuaded that an adequate case has been made to change the law.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated in the last five years into (i) the military utility and (ii) the effects of land mines; what proposals he has for future research on this subject; and if he will make a statement. [12760]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
My Department has commissioned a number of studies into the military utility and effects of both anti-tank and anti-personnel land mines. Future such studies will be carried out as appropriate. Recent operational analysis has not identified any weapon system which could act as an effective alternative to anti-tank or anti-personnel land mines.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to answer the question of 29 January from the hon. Member for Leyton relating to land mines. [26268]
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what nuclear reporting centres have been (a) established and (b) operated in Scotland since 1970; what the purpose of each such centre is or was; and which nuclear reporting centres are currently in operation. [25544]
Mr. Soames
[holding answer 18 April 1996]: The term nuclear reporting centre is not recognised by the Ministry of Defence and I am not aware of any facility which might fit this description.
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