---

TRANSPORT

Commission for Integrated Transport

The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Alistair Darling): In accordance with protocols governing the review of Government Advisory Bodies, I am today announcing a review of the Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT).

The review will examine the role of both CfIT and the Motorists Forum. It will consider the extent to which both have fulfilled their remits. It will consider the extent to which those remits remain correct and relevant in light of developments since both were established. It will consider the case for changes to the remit or working practices of either body. And, in line with established procedure, it will consider the extent to which these bodies remain relevant and necessary to the delivery of Government Policy.

11 Apr 2003 : Column 40WS

Charles Rice, an Executive Director of the Main Board of P&O, has been appointed to lead the review. We expect the review to be completed later this year and, subject to the nature of its findings, to institute any changes deemed necessary by the end of the year.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Historical Abuse Investigations

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Hilary Benn): The Government today publishes "Historical Abuse Investigations: Government Response to the Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2001–02".

The Government are grateful to the Home Affairs Committee for their hard work in tackling the difficult subject of historical child abuse, which resulted in the publication of the Committee's report, "The Investigation of Past Cases of Abuse in Children's Homes" in October 2002.

We know that this subject arouses strong feelings, and that many of the central issues are widely disputed. We feel that the Committee has done well to consider all points of view.

The passage of time, the serious nature of the allegations and the long-term damage done to victims means that proper safeguards must be observed in the chain of evidence gathering. We must be sure that investigations minimise the risk to the innocent, particularly given the nature of evidence that most convictions rely on.

There is clearly no dispute that police must investigate such crimes to the fullest, despite the inevitable difficulty of investigating allegations that refer to events that may have occurred many years ago.

New guidance has been issued by the Government and the Association of Chief Police Officers in the past 12 months on the investigation of historic abuse cases in order to provide a sound and transparent framework for conducting investigations. This includes a range of safeguards to ensure that evidence gathering is scrutinised for potentially false or malicious allegations.

Copies will be placed in the Library.

---

---