Cabinet Office Guidance And Consultation On Asylum Reform Proposals

EDM number 114 in 2003-04, proposed by Lynne Jones on 26/11/2003.

That this House notes that the three week consultation period for the Home Office consultation, New Legislative Proposals on Asylum Reform is in breach of Criterion 5 of the Cabinet Office guidelines on written consultations, which states that a minimum of 12 weeks should be allowed, except in cases where there are circumstances which unavoidably require a consultation period less than 12 weeks; further notes that the document, New Legislative Proposals on Asylum Reform, does not state ministers' reasons for departing from the code nor what special measures have been taken to ensure that consultation is nevertheless as effective as possible, as futher required by the code; believes that the seriousness of the issues necessitates the minimum consultation period and does not justify it being reduced; and therefore calls upon the Home Secretary to extend the consultation to three months in compliance with the Cabinet Office published criteria.

This motion has been signed by a total of 34 MPs.