Henry Bellingham (Shadow Minister, Constitutional Affairs; North West Norfolk, Conservative)

We move on to chapter 4 of the Bill, which is entitled “Administrative matters in respect of certain tribunals”. Clause 39(3) states:

“The Lord Chancellor must annually prepare and lay before each House of Parliament a report as to the way in which he has discharged his general duty in relation to the tribunals.”

As we are talking about a brand new, consolidated system that we hope will provide and deliver a far better service to the public, a lot of expectation is building up. I know that this is a matter for the usual channels, but we want in due course not just a written statement but an oral statement to the House. I hope that the Minister will now say more about how she feels the annual statement should be presented and how important she feels it will be.

Simon Hughes (Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs & Shadow Attorney General, Constitutional Affairs; North Southwark & Bermondsey, Liberal Democrat)

Will the Minister say what she expects the cost of the new system to be in its first year of operation?

Vera Baird (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs; Redcar, Labour)

I will write to the hon. Gentleman about the cost. The duty that subsection (3) places on the Lord Chancellor is identical to that which he has in respect of the courts. The provisions mirror section 1 of the Courts Act 2003. One would expect the format of the report and the procedures that follow it to be exactly the same. Those procedures have proved acceptable under the 2003 Act, which holds great promise, I would have thought, for the new provisions to be acceptable in future.