Justice and Community Safety-Standing Committee-Report No 13-The 2001-02 Draft Budget Initiatives and Draft Capital Works for the Department of Justice and Community Safety and Related Agencies (presented 29 March 2001)-Government response, dated May 2001.

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

Mr Speaker, I present the Government's response to Report No 13 of the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety "The 2001-02 Draft Budget Initiatives and Draft Capital Works for the Department of Justice and Community Safety and Related Agencies" that was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 29 March 2001.

The Committee's report reviewed the Draft Budget Initiatives and Draft Capital Works for the Department of Justice and Community Safety and made five recommendations following its deliberations:

- Recommendations 1 & 2 deal with the draft budget and consultation processes;

- Recommendation 3 deals with the allocation of additional funding made available to the committee;

- Recommendation 4 suggests further priorities should additional funds become available; and

- Recommendation 5 recommends that priority be given to implementing crime prevention and early intervention project.

Mr Speaker, the Government is pleased to see that the Committee has recognised the importance of a number of measures that have received funding through the Budget.

The Government agrees or agrees in principle with the two recommendations dealing with the draft budget and consultation processes.

This Government has a strong commitment to consulting with the ACT community and has incorporated a comprehensive consultation process that has been communicated to the Community in each and every budget presented in the Assembly since its election. It is abundantly clear from the Government's actions over the past seven years that it believes that community groups should be encouraged to participate in the budget consultation process.