December 2023 update on the redress system and records consultation
Kia ora koutou,
In this pānui we inform you of our new Minister and updates to our work programme.
The Crown Response Minister
The Minister for the Public Service, Hon Nicola Willis is the Minister responsible for the Crown response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry.
Update on work programme
Since our pānui newsletter in October(external link) we have made the following progress on our work programme:
Improvements to records
The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry recommended improvements to the protection of care records. To support this work, Archives New Zealand completed its consultation on a draft scope and definition of care records on 18 November 2023. Feedback was received from a wide range of people and organisations with knowledge and experience of care and care settings. Archives New Zealand is using the feedback to identify updates to the scope and definition of care records. Once this has been completed it will be used as the basis for a notice temporarily preventing the disposal of care records.
Public apology engagement with survivors
The Crown Response Unit has completed its second round of engagements with over 40 survivors on the detail of the public apology. Thank you very much to everyone we worked with.
Design of redress system
The Co-chairs of the Design Group submitted high-level proposals on the redress system to the Minister for the Public Service. The Co-chairs sent a pānui last week(external link) about this mahi.
This is our last pānui for 2023. The Crown Response Unit will be closed from 23 December 2023 to 7 January 2024. We will issue another pānui as and when we have further updates on our work programme in 2024.
Ngā manaakitanga and Meri kerihimete,
Crown Response Unit