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2010 Responses to Consultations
Community Care
The consultation sets out the current proposals for establishing a Commissioner for Older People in NI. While LCNI supports the move to establish a Commissioner our response calls for a wider range of powers to be available to the Commissioner than those proposed by OFMDFM to ensure that older people have a strong independent voice to represent their interests and to directly influence policy and service delivery.
Employment
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Additional Paternity Leave and Pay February 2010
Immigration
- Review into ending the detention of children for immigration purposes July 2010
- In-Court Interpretation Services May 2010
- Home Office consultation on the publication of monthly asylum application statistical data April 2010
While we support the proposal to expand the publication of asylum data, we would urge the Home Office to publish full regional statistics on immigration and asylum matters.
- Migrant Workers Convention February 2010
- Simplifying Immigration Rules January 2010
Mental Health
The Bamford Action Plan 2009-2011 announced in October 2009, included a commitment to develop a dementia services strategy. This consultation outlines DHSSPS proposals for the establishment of a Northern Irish Dementia Strategy. Law Centre NI welcomes this development as a positive step in recognising the individual needs of people with dementia and their carers, however, our response highlights the importance of maintaining consistency with the new mental capacity legislation.
The NILC considers whether law and practice for witnesses in civil proceedings is adequate or whether a more radical departure, such as the one taken in criminal law, is required to offer protection to witnesses. LCNI’s response highlights the importance of offering adequate protections to those civil witnesses with mental health issues.
Social justice / Legal Services
- A Bill of Rights: the next steps March 2010
Social security
The consultation outlines the previous Government’s plans for reform of the Social Fund to make the scheme more active, easier for customers to get one-off or occasional support and to provide more support to frequent users of the Fund to tackle the underlying problems they may face. It also details how the scheme should provide better value for money for the tax payer by reducing the number of frequent users.
- SSAC Consultation: The Income Support & Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2010 March 2010
The proposed Regulations bring into force some of the more concerning parts of the Welfare Reform Act 2009 which impact significantly upon Lone Parents. LCNI’s response outlines our concerns regarding the potential impact of the proposals on lone parent families generally, lone parent families coping with certain health conditions and/or disabilities and the potential impact on child poverty.
- DWP Consultation: Supporting people into work: The next stage of Housing Benefit reform February 2010
In a joint response LCNI’s and Housing Rights Service highlight concerns with DWP proposals to reform Housing Benefit. As part of this reform agenda we believe it will be important for the Department for Social Development to consider the following local strategic issues: The absence of a review into the implementation and impact of LHA locally; The differences between Housing Benefit in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland presents particular circumstances with regards to welfare and arrangements to move people into employment; and the capacity of the employment market.
