This email is in reply to Nigel Hardman's expression of concern at the
latest government changes. I am sending it on behalf of Robert Smith.

> In the Cabinet reshuffle, announced last night, Lord Falconer replaced
> Lord Irvine as Lord Chancellor (and also became the first Secretary of
> State for Constitutional Affairs).
>
> The following announcement, which appeared last night on the 10 Downing
> Street website, says that for the period of transition, Lord Falconer will
> exercise all the functions of Lord Chancellor as necessary. We will let
> you know about the implications (if any) for public records and The
> National Archives as soon as we can.
>
> Modernising Government - Lord Falconer appointed Secretary of State for
> Constitutional Affairs
> As part of the continuing drive to modernise the constitution and public
> services, the Prime Minister has today announced far-reaching reforms
> including the creation of a new Department for Constitutional Affairs.
> This will incorporate most of the responsibilities of the former Lord
> Chancellor's Department, but with new arrangements for judicial
> appointments and an end to the previous role of the Lord Chancellor as a
> judge and Speaker of the House of Lords. Once the reforms are in place,
> the post of Lord Chancellor will be abolished, putting the relationship
> between executive, legislature and judiciary on a modern footing.
> The first Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs will be Lord
> Falconer. He will operate as a conventional Cabinet Minister and head of
> department, and will be located together with his permanent secretary and
> departmental officials in the offices of the Lord Chancellor's Department
> and not in the House of Lords.
> The creation of the Department for Constitutional Affairs builds on the
> major constitutional reforms carried through by Lord Irvine in his six
> years as Lord Chancellor. It is part of a substantial package of further
> reform measures including:
> *     Establishment of an independent Judicial Appointments Commission, on
> a statutory basis, to recommend candidates for appointment as judges. The
> Government will publish a consultation paper before the summer recess on
> the best way of establishing such a Commission.
> *     Creation of a new Supreme Court to replace the existing system of
> Law Lords operating as a committee of the House of Lords. The new
> Secretary of State will not be a member of the Supreme Court. The
> Government will publish a consultation paper on proposals for a Supreme
> Court before the summer recess.
> *     Reform of the Speakership of the House of Lords. The Leader of the
> House of Lords will consult with the other parties, and the House as a
> whole, on changes to Standing Orders enabling a new Speaker - who is not a
> Minister - to be in place after the recess, subject to the wishes of the
> House.
> New arrangements will also be put in place for the conduct of Scottish and
> Welsh business. The devolved administrations have bedded down
> successfully, and there is no longer a requirement for full-time Cabinet
> ministers and free-standing departments to conduct the remaining Scottish
> and Welsh business within Parliament and the UK government. The Scotland
> and Wales Offices will henceforth be located within the new Department for
> Constitutional Affairs, together with the Parliamentary Under-Secretaries
> of State for Scotland and Wales. At Cabinet level, responsibility for the
> conduct of Scottish and Welsh business, and lead responsibility for the
> representation of Wales and Scotland within the Government and Parliament,
> will lie with Alistair Darling (Scotland) and Peter Hain (Wales)
> respectively, supported by the staff located within the new Department.
> They will combine these important duties with their other Cabinet
> responsibilities.
> For the period of transition, Lord Falconer will exercise all the
> functions of Lord Chancellor as necessary. However, Lord Falconer does not
> intend to sit as a judge in the House of Lords before the new Supreme
> Court is established.
> The Home Office's responsibilities for law and order and asylum will
> remain unchanged. Working closely with the Home Office, the new Department
> for Constitutional Affairs will drive forward the Government's radical
> agenda for reforming the criminal justice system, including:
> *     The creation of a single national courts service as set out in the
> Courts Bill.
> *     Major improvements to the performance of the courts with a
> significant reduction in the proportion of ineffective trials.
> *     A step change in the enforcement of criminal penalties with radical
> changes to the way that fines are administered and enforced.
> *     Consulting on the abolition of the current system of QC appointments
> conferred by the government.
> Lord Irvine of Lairg is retiring from the Cabinet. Paying tribute to Lord
> Irvine, the Prime Minister said:
> 'Derry Irvine has been a very senior member of the Cabinet for six years,
> a man of great integrity, and a most trusted adviser and friend. Derry's
> contribution to the Government's programme of devolution and
> constitutional reform has been outstanding. I respect his wish to retire
> and pay tribute to all he has achieved.'
> At Lord Falconer's request, his status and remuneration will be on the
> same basis as other Secretaries of State in the House of Lords.
> 12 June 2003
>
>
>
> Robert Smith
>
> Head of Press and Publicity
> The National Archives
>
> Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU
> Tel:  +44 (0)20 8392 5277 (Press Office)
>         +44 (0)20 8392 5360 (direct line)
> Fax: +44 (0)20 8392 5295
> Web: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
>
>
>


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