Select Committee on Lord Chancellor's Department Minutes of Evidence


Examination of Witnesses (Questions 40 - 43)

TUESDAY 8 APRIL 2003

MR KIT CHIVERS AND MR ARRAN POYSER

  40. Absolutely, but you cannot do that at the moment, can you?
  (Mr Chivers) We cannot do that at the moment, that is a real void in the system.

  41. How long is this going to go on for? As the Director of the Inspection Unit, have you put forward your views as to how long this unacceptable state of affairs can continue?
  (Mr Poyser) We have not had a discussion directly about that in recent months. We discussed it when we were at headquarters in November and the view there was that it would take at least another year, as I recall, before such a system could be up and running. We have not yet engaged, outside individual inspections, in a dialogue about what might be the specification for such a system and how it would be of use throughout CAFCASS as well as linking in with the judiciary.

  42. I understand that, but do you not think a year's wait is actually a very long time when we are dealing with the urgent need to track these cases on a national basis? This is 2003, we can land people on the moon, etcetera.
  (Mr Poyser) I think there is some nervousness about public IT projects going wrong and ending up producing information that is not terribly helpful and I think that is what has bedevilled the situation so far, a lack of clarity as to what is needed by whom, when, how often and for what sort of purposes and then ensuring that it happens. One regrets the delay. If in a year's time they have got it right there might be some applause. If in a year's time they have still got it wrong or it is not there then there would be even more frustration. There is a danger in rushing into it too soon and getting it totally wrong.

  43. So that is the reason, because they were rushing in too soon?
  (Mr Poyser) That is the reason why CAFCASS suspended the project back in July 2001. I do not think that is the total reason why they have not been able to produce it yet.

  Chairman: Mr Chivers, Mr Poyser, we are very grateful to you both. We will proceed further with our inquiries. The judiciary are waiting to speak to us. Thank you.


 
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