Government response to the fourth report on immigration and Asylum : The Government's proposed changes to publicly funded immigration and asylum work, second special report of Session 2003-04

A further response to the Committee's second report (HCP 211-I, session 2003-04; ISBN 0215015657), and following on from the Government's first response (Cm 6236, ISBN 0101623623) published in June 2004

The draft Bill, published as a consultation paper (Cm 6194, ISBN 0101619421) in May 2004, contains the Government's proposals for changes to the Criminal Defence Service (CDS) grant of the right to public funded representation in criminal court cases. Its two key provisions are the transfer of responsibility for grant of criminal legal aid from the courts to the Legal Services Commission (LSC); and the re-introduction of a means test for criminal cases. The Committee's report finds that the increase in CDS spending in recent years is unsustainable, and states its support for the underlying aim of the draft Bill to improve management control and consistency in the legal aid system and to focus resources on those that need help most. However, it highlights a number of areas where more work is required before the proposals can be finalised, including the need to ensure the measures comply with the UK's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as the costs and practical difficulties of means testing and in transferring the grant to the LSC.

Since 1965 the foreign-born population of the United States has swelled from 9.6 million or 5 percent of the population to 45 million or 14 percent in 2015. Today, about one-quarter of the U.S. population consists of immigrants or the children of immigrants. Given the sizable representation of immigrants in the U.S. population, their health is a major influence on the health of the population as a whole. On average, immigrants are healthier than native-born Americans. Yet, immigrants also are subject to the systematic marginalization and discrimination that often lead to the creation of health disparities. To explore the link between immigration and health disparities, the Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity held a workshop in Oakland, California, on November 28, 2017. This summary of that workshop highlights the presentations and discussions of the workshop.

Drawing special attention to: Electoral Administration Bill; Equality Bill; Health Bill; Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill.