Releases of information

Information on the Government’s decisions on the Crown Response to the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry can be found in the Cabinet papers, briefings to Ministers and responses to the Official Information Act requests below. 

Research reports and Crown statements to inquiry hearings are also available below as supporting information.

Our annual funding reports can be found in the 'About us' section.

Cabinet papers

Access Cabinet papers below or see those available in alternate formats.

2025

Decisions relating to work on an improved redress pathway and interim enhancements to current processes - 11 November 2024 decisions, Date of  proactive release 2 April 2025

Decisions relating to the appointment of the independent arbiter to make determinations on individual redress payments for survivors of torture at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit - 3 February 2025 decisions, Date of proactive release 2 April 2025

Decisions relating to redress for survivors of torture at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit - 4 and 16 December 2024 decisions, Date of proactive release 7 February 2025

Decisions relating to addressing inequity in some previous Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit settlements - 16 and 21 October 2024 decisions, Date of proactive release 13 January 2025

2024

Initial response to Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry's final report Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light - 30 September 2024 decisions, Date of proactive release 5 December 2024

Further actions to accompany the apology - 23 and 24 October 2024 decisions , Date of proactive release 27 November 2024

Responding the Abuse in Care Legislation Amendment Bill - 27 September and 11 November 2024 decisions , Date of proactive release 21 November 2024

Payments for survivors of the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit who have a terminal illness - 12 August 2024 decisions [PDF, 1.1 MB], Date of proactive release August 2024

Acknowledgement of torture at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit 26 June and 1 July 2024 decisions [PDF, 2.2 MB], Date of proactive release July 2024

Initial response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care - 26 June and 1 July 2024 decisions [PDF, 2.3 MB], Date of proactive release July 2024

Work programme for the Crown’s response to the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry - 4 June and 10 June 2024 decisions [PDF, 12 MB], Date of proactive release June 2024

Decisions on a joint-Ministerial advisory group and delivery of a public apology - 27 March 2024 decisions [PDF, 1022 KB], Date of proactive release March 2024

2023

Minister for the Public Service's intended appointees to Design and Advisory Groups and records of decisions, July 2023 [PDF, 2.6 MB]

Next stages of work on immediate projects to improve survivors’ experience of seeking redress, May 2023 [PDF, 4.1 MB]

Terms of Reference for the Design and Advisory Groups to prepare proposals for survivors redress and decision record, May 2023 [PDF, 2.1 MB]

2022

Cabinet agreement to new redress system design arrangements, December 2022 [PDF, 18 MB]

Agreement to work on four immediate projects ahead of new independent redress system and record of decision, August 2022 [PDF, 2 MB]

2021

Agreement to develop an independent redress system informed by the Royal Commission’s findings and recommendations, December 2021 [PDF, 1.5 MB]

2019

Crown Resolution Strategy for resolving historical claims arising from abuse in state care, December 2019 [PDF, 1.7 MB]

Agreement on process for aligning the Crown’s business with the six principles to guide Abuse in Care Inquiry response, December 2019 [PDF, 883 KB]

Agreed process for working with non-government organisations (NGOs) and Crown entities to identify their support needs, September 2019 [PDF, 4.6 MB]

Crown’s strategic approach to its engagement with the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry, April 2019 [PDF, 1 MB]

Briefings to Ministers

Briefings to Incoming Ministers

Incoming Ministers receive briefings following the formation of a new Government or changes to Cabinet.

These documents have been proactively released. Redactions made to the documents have been made consistent with provisions of the Official Information Act 1982.

• March 2024 - Briefing to the Incoming Minister [PDF, 3.6 MB]
• January 2023 - Briefing to the Incoming Minister(external link)
• November 2020 - Briefing to the Incoming Minister(external link)
  
  

Other ministerial briefings

• September 2022 - Briefing on a propsed approach for rapid payments by agencies to the Ministers for Public Service, Children, Social Development and Employment, Health, and Education [PDF, 3.7 MB]

Research provided to the Royal Commission

Download or read summaries of research provided to the Royal Commission:

• Māori in care from 1950 - 1999(external link)
• Lake Alice Hospital child and adolescent unit report(external link)

Crown statements

The following statements have been given by the Crown to Royal Commission hearings: 

• State Institutional Response Hearing, August 2022: Crown's opening statement
• Māori Hearing, March 2022: Crown's opening submission at the Royal Commission's hearing into Māori experiences of abuse in care
• State redress hearing, October 2020: Crown's closing submission for the Royal Commission State redress hearing
• Contextual hearing, November 2019: Crown statement at the Royal Commission's contextual hearing, October 2019