Second U-turn over the 'bonfire of quangos' saves Youth Justice Board
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Government has reversed plans to scrap the Youth Justice Board as part of its much-publicised "bonfire of the quangos". In a second U-turn in as many days, the Department of Justice said that the board – which oversees the detention and rehabilitation of young offenders – would be reprieved.
On Monday, it announced that the post of Chief Coroner would also be kept, despite an earlier pledge by the Government to abolish it.
The moves come after the Government was defeated in the House of Lords last month when peers backed an amendment to the Public Bodies Bill urging ministers to remove the body from a list of those to be abolished. Those backing the change included the former Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf and the former Tory cabinet minister Lord Newton. Ministers said the quango had achieved its objectives and local initiatives should be prioritised in future. But peers from all parties supported the amendment.
Lord Woolf said he would be extremely disappointed if proposals to disband the body – set up in 1997 to oversee the youth justice system – went ahead.
"This was an initiative that managed to change the whole approach towards a part of the criminal justice system – and probably one of the most difficult and important parts of the system – in a way which gave new hope to all those concerned for our justice system," he said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments