Foreword by the Chairman |
In my foreword to last year’s
Report I expressed the hope that, in the second year of operation,
the Advisory Board would be able to move from a passive role to one of offering
policy advice. I believe that, to an extent, that expectation has been met.
As this report will show, the Board has been able, on the basis of emerging
evidence from the research into the pilot projects, to reach clear conclusions
on the way in which Part II of the Family Law Act 1996 should be implemented,
and to advise the Lord Chancellor accordingly. We have also been able to
respond to consultation documents covering other areas of family policy
and to offer advice on issues relating to the operation of the Children
Act.
None of this would have been possible without the support of our hard-pressed
Secretariat and the active co-operation of the Department and the research
institutions; we have been very fortunate in that respect. I would equally
like to pay tribute to the time and enthusiasm the members continue to give
to the work of the Board. Particular thanks are due to Mr Justice Wall for
his work as Chairman of the Children Act Sub Committee.
Over the next year the process of implementation should be gathering pace.
A major policy development of this nature will inevitably bring its own
challenges, and I hope that the Board will be able to play a constructive
role in meeting these.
Sir Thomas Boyd-Carpenter