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The process for calculating the correction payments has been reviewed by a city firm of accountants and also by the strategic investment board, which is a panel of appointed financial experts that provides generic investment advice to the Ministry of Justice in respect of its clients.
It is estimated that approximately 4,000 current and closed cases have been affected and that the full cost of corrective payments will be approximately £12.5 million. This is out of a total of 90,000 current childrens cases holding nearly £650 million in cash and investments, and 1.1 million closed cases.
Letters providing full details of the corrected accounts are being sent to all litigation friends who represent the children involved.
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Mr. David Hanson): On 14 June the Ministry of Justice received the results of two unannounced inspections, by the Commission for Social Care Inspectorate (CSCI), into Oakhill secure training centre. They assessed the centres development as poor.
As a result I wish to inform the House that a new director has been appointed. Malcolm Stevens took up post on 9 July.
The inspections confirmed concerns raised by the Youth Justice Board regarding levels of order and control at the centre. The CSCI reports will be published in due course.
The Youth Justice Board has required Mr. Stevens to set out how he would improve performance at the centre, which is operated by G4S.
The Youth Justice Board will monitor performance closely and expects to see rapid progress. If this is not the case further action will be taken and in this event I will update the House.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice): My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor has today published the seventh report by the president of appeal tribunals on the standards of decisions made on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in cases which came before appeal tribunals. The major reasons given for appeal tribunals overturning or amending decisions were because new evidence was produced at the hearing or the tribunal took a different view of the same evidence.
In his report, the president acknowledges improvements by some Department of Work and Pensions agencies, particularly the Disability and Carers Service. He also recognises the work done by the Department to improve the standards of medical reports.
The Tribunals Service has in place a number of partnership agreements with Department for Work and Pensions agencies, who deal with benefits and make decisions on behalf of the Secretary of State, covering the interface as part of the end to end process of administering appeals. In addition to the agreements, regular meetings are held to review respective performance and discuss any issues to improve customer service.
This is the first report published by the Ministry of Justice as responsibility for appeal tribunals transferred from the Department of Work and pensions from 1 April 2006.
Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, the Vote Office and Printed Paper Office. Copies are also available on the internet at www.tribunals.gov.uk
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