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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3463 ..

4

Mr Speaker, further essential changes to services for young people in detention will be explored in the context of the Children's Services Act Review.

Monitoring and Review

The Bill provides for independent scrutiny of any transfer directions made by the Director.

Mr Speaker, the Assembly Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, the Community Advocate and the Chief Magistrate will be informed of every transfer occurring under these provisions. There are similar requirements for the notification of the Standing Committee, via the Attorney General, where an adult remandee is transferred from the Remand Centre to a NSW gaol.

Crimes Act amendment

An amendment to the Crimes Act is presented separately but concurrently with these amendments to the Children's Services Act. That amendment also serves to facilitate the administration of juvenile justice in this Territory by giving courts express power to deal with outstanding sentences of juvenile offenders whose subsequent sentences for adult crimes bring them into contact with adult offenders.

Report by Official Visitor

At present, Mr Speaker, the reporting arrangements for the Official Visitor appointed under the Children's Services Act 1986 do not conform with the annual reporting requirements of other government agencies.

Sub-sections 19B (5) and (6) of the Act have been deleted to make the annual reporting provision for the Official Visitor consistent. This means the Official Visitor will report to the Minister in accordance with the Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act 1995 and the Official Visitor's Report will be tabled with the Department's Annual Report.

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