Constitutional Reform: Governance of Britain

My right honourable friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Jack Straw) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. On 3 July 2007 (Official Report, col. 815), the Prime Minister made a Statement to Parliament publishing the Governance of Britain Green Paper.  The Green Paper set out a route map for further constitutional reform, better to strengthen the relationship between government, Parliament and the citizen, and to take steps towards a new constitutional settlement.  This builds on fundamental reforms carried out by the Government since 1997, including devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the transformation of the role of the Lord Chancellor, the introduction of a Supreme Court, the Human Rights Act and the Freedom of Information Act. Renewing our democracy is at the heart of our reforms, building a new relationship between citizens and government and ensuring that the rights of individuals are fully respected. One year on, much progress has been made against the Governance of Britain ambitions. Limiting the powers of the Executive The Government committed to surrendering or limiting powers which they consider should not, in a modern democracy, be exercised exclusively by the Executive. We have carried out consultations on Parliament’s role in decisions relating to the deployment of the Armed Forces into armed conflict and the ratification of treaties, the role of the Attorney-General, government’s role in judicial appointments, protests around Parliament and the flying of the union flag.  Alongside the responses to the Government’s 2004 consultation on the Civil Service, these consultations informed the draft Constitutional Renewal Bill and White Paper, which are now being considered by a Joint Committee.  The draft Constitutional Renewal Bill contains important measures to strengthen Parliament and make government more accountable to the people they serve. It encompasses five areas of reform, and includes proposals to: repeal the provisions in Sections 132 to 138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act on protest around Parliament; reform the role of the Attorney-General; reduce the role played by the Lord Chancellor in judicial appointments; formalise the procedure for Parliament to scrutinise treaties prior to ratification; and enshrine in statute the core values of the Civil Service, as well as the historical principle of appointment on merit, and place the Civil Service Commissioners on to a statutory footing. The Government also want Parliament to have the right to take the final decision about committing Armed Forces to armed conflict. Making the Executive more accountable The Government are committed to rebalancing power between Parliament and government, and giving Parliament greater ability to hold government to account.  We have: published the draft legislative programme for scrutiny by Parliament and the public in 2007 and 2008; commenced a pilot of pre-appointment hearings for key public appointments and agreed a list of 60 suitable appointments with the Liaison Committee; published the national security strategy for the first time; and set up an independent UK Statistics Authority. Re-invigorating our democracy It is vital that our institutions are legitimate, trusted and responsive to the people they serve. We have: established the Youth Citizenship Commission to look at how we can give young people a greater voice; and committed to extending the provisions in the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002 beyond 2015 to allow women-only shortlists to continue to be used if necessary. Britain’s future: the citizen and the state The Government believe that a clearer understanding of the common core of rights, responsibilities and values that go with British citizenship will help build our sense of shared identity and social cohesion. Lord Goldsmith’s review of citizenship was launched on 5 October 2007 and reported to the Prime Minister in March 2008. Constitutional renewal in the UK is a long-term dialogue, and in the coming months: we will publish a White Paper setting out the Government’s proposals for fundamental reform of the House of Lords; and the Department for Communities and Local Government will publish a White Paper this summer setting out the Government's proposals to empower individuals and communities by involving them in the design and delivery of local public services and promoting civic and democratic life. Further details of the progress on the commitments in the Green Paper are set out in the table entitled ““The Governance of Britain Green Paper: One Year On””.  Copies of this table have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.