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Citizenship Consultation
The Minister for Borders and Immigration (Mr. Phil Woolas): Following the successful passage of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill through both Houses of Parliament, Royal Assent is expected to be granted today. The Bill includes changes to the routes used to achieve citizenship. In consideration of this the UK Border Agency will be publishing, during the summer recess, a consultation paper entitled "Earning the right to stay: A new points test for citizenship". This document will seek views on proposals to build on the system of earned citizenship set out in the Bill and fulfils one of the commitments made by the Prime Minister in the document "Building Britain's Future".
Copies will be made available in the Libraries of both Houses, as well as on the UKBA website.
Youth Crime Action Plan - One Year On
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Alan Johnson): In conjunction with the Secretary of State for Justice and Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, I will tomorrow publish the "Youth Crime Action Plan - One Year On".
This document sets out progress made since we published the "Youth Crime Action Plan" in 2008, and describes the action we will take over the next year.
Copies of the document will be placed in the Library of the House.
Justice
England and Wales Prison Service Pay Review Body Report
The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (Mr. Jack Straw): The eighth report of the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) (Cm 7678) has been laid before Parliament today. The report makes recommendations on the pay of governing governors and other operational managers, prison officers and related support grades in public sector prisons in England and Wales in 2009. Copies of the report are available at:
http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm76/7678/7678.pdf
I am grateful to the Chairman and members of the Review Body for their hard work in producing these recommendations.
A 1.8 per cent. consolidated increase to the maximum of the OSG, Prison Officer and Principal Officer pay scales and the Senior Officer single pay point; and
A 1.5 per cent. consolidated increase to the maximum of Manager and Senior Manager pay ranges and compression of pay ranges.
This award is consistent with the Government's policy on public sector pay that awards should
reflect the individual labour market position of work forces, particularly their recruitment and retention position;
be consistent with the Bank of England inflation target;
be affordable for Departments; and
represent value for money for taxpayers.
I am pleased to confirm that the PSPRB's recommendations will be implemented in full, effective from 1 April 2009. The cost of the award will be met from within the delegated budget allocation for the National Offender Management Service.
Attorney-General
Reform of the Role of the Attorney-General
The Solicitor-General (Vera Baird): My noble Friend the Attorney-General has made the following written ministerial statement:
Following a thorough review of the role of the Attorney-General, the Government have reached the settled conclusion that the Attorney should retain the roles of chief legal adviser to the Government, Criminal Justice Minister with responsibility for superintending the main prosecuting authorities (the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office and the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office), and independent guardian of the public interest.
However, significant reforms to the role have been, and are being, implemented. In particular, measures have been taken to clarify the Attorney-General's role of superintending the prosecuting authorities and the nature of the Attorney's involvement in
prosecution decisions. A new protocol published today has been agreed with the three prosecuting departments which sets out how the relationship is to work in practice, to safeguard the independence of the prosecutors while enabling the Attorney to be properly accountable to Parliament and the public. Copies of the protocol have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
In addition a strategic board has been set up, chaired by the Attorney and including the prosecuting departments, to provide strategic direction to the Law Officers' Departments and secure greater efficiency and effectiveness. The strategic board agreed at the beginning of April 2009 that the Crown Prosecution Service should be merged with the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office to create a strengthened prosecution service.
It is intended to amend the Attorney-General's oath of office to include a specific reference to respect for the rule of law. Furthermore, the Attorney-General now only attends Cabinet when matters affecting her responsibilities are on the agenda.
These significant reforms, which have not required legislation, give effect to the aims of the review of the role, which were to enhance public confidence and respect for the rule of law and to provide greater clarity and transparency.
Attorney-General's Office Annual Review
The Solicitor-General (Vera Baird): My noble Friend the Attorney-General has made the following written ministerial statement:
I am today publishing an Annual Review of the Attorney-General's Office, to help improve understanding of the role of the Attorney-General and the collective workings of the Law Officers' Departments, to increase public confidence in the criminal justice system, protect the public interest and uphold the rule of law.
As in past years, the Law Officers' Departments have also each separately produced their individual Annual Reports and Accounts.
Copies of the Annual Review have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Prime Minister
Cabinet Committees
The Prime Minister (Mr. Gordon Brown): Today I am publishing an updated Cabinet Committee list. This provides details of new Cabinet Committees which have been created since the last publication. I have placed a copy of the new list in the Libraries of both Houses. The details are also available on the Cabinet Office website.
Transport
UK Domestic Drivers Hours Rules
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Paul Clark): I am today publishing a consultation document seeking views on the current UK domestic drivers' hours rules. These rules prescribe driving and duty limits along with some break and rest requirements for drivers of goods and passenger vehicles that are not covered by the EU drivers' hours rules. This includes most drivers of vans, and bus drivers on routes no more than 50 kilometre in length.
The domestic rules were introduced to support road safety by ensuring that drivers of commercial vehicles had sufficient breaks and rest.
The Department is now reviewing these rules and as part of this process needs to better understand the views and experiences of those that are affected by them in their working lives. Although the consultation document proposes no legislative changes at this stage, the responses received during the consultation will inform the initial consideration of potential policy options, which will then be the subject of further consultation.
Copies of the consultation will be made available in the Libraries of both Houses.
Work and Pensions
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Optional Protocol)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Jonathan Shaw):
The period during which the explanatory memorandum and Command Paper for ratification of the optional protocol to the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
were laid before Parliament has now ended. I am therefore pleased to announce that the Government will now be taking the final steps to formally ratify the optional protocol as soon as we are able.
As my previous statements of 3 and 27 February, and 22 June, indicated, the optional protocol builds on the convention by establishing two additional procedures in respect of implementation and monitoring of the convention itself.
The first is a procedural avenue that, subject to meeting conditions set out in the optional protocol, will enable individuals or groups of individuals to bring petitions to the UN Committee that has been established to monitor implementation of the disability convention if they believe that their rights under that convention have been breached. The second is an inquiry procedure giving the Committee authority to undertake inquiries when reliable information is received into allegations of grave or systematic violations of convention rights.
Having ratified the convention itself on 8 June, and in now moving to the final step in ratifying the optional protocol, the Government have demonstrated the importance that it places on respect for the human rights of disabled people.
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