Vote Justice - Supplementary Estimates 2011/12

Details of Projected Movements in Departmental
Net Assets#

Ministry of Justice

Information Supporting the Supplementary Estimates Vote Justice#

MINISTER(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR APPROPRIATIONS: Minister of Justice (M42)

ADMINISTERING DEPARTMENT: Ministry of Justice

MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR MINISTRY OF JUSTICE: Minister of Justice

Part 1 - Summary of the Vote#

Part 1.3 - Trends in the Vote

Summary of Financial Activity

Part 2 - Details and Expected Performance for Output Expenses#

Part 2.1 - Departmental Output Expenses#

Administration of Legal Services (M42)

Scope of Appropriation

Expenses and Revenue

Reasons for Change in Appropriation

The appropriation has increased by $8.070 million to $26.527 million, due to:

• an increase of $1.754 million following a review of the Ministry's methodology for allocating corporate and administrative expenses to outputs
• an increase of $5.097 million due to the transfer of Legal Aid Reform Programme funding from the Sector Leadership and Support appropriation
• an increase of $350,000 to introduce eligibility changes aimed at reducing the number of legal aid grants
• an increase of $1.633 million to introduce initiatives aimed at reducing the price of legal aid grants
• an increase of $558,000 for the implementation of the Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill
• an increase of $100,000 to introduce attachment orders on legal aid debt, and
• an increase of $86,000 to provide for costs associated with extending the legal aid quality framework.

Offset by:

• an expense transfer of $1.300 million to 2012/13 to support the ongoing and evolving work of the Legal Aid Reform Programme, and
• a transfer of efficiency savings of $208,000 to 2012/13.

Crime Prevention and Community Safety (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses and Revenue#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

This appropriation has reduced by $887,000 to $996,000 due to:

• a decrease of $884,000 following a review of the Ministry's methodology for allocating corporate and administrative expenses to outputs, and
• a transfer of efficiency savings of $3,000 to 2012/13.

Policy Advice (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses and Revenue#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

The appropriation has decreased by $2.632 million to $26.284 million due to:

• a decrease of $722,000 following a review of the Ministry's methodology for allocating corporate and administrative expenses to outputs
• a transfer of efficiency savings of $1.590 million to 2012/13
• the transfer of $731,000 to 2012/13 to conduct the next New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey in 2014
• an expense transfer of $730,000 to Policy Advice - Treaty Negotiations to fund litigation costs in that output class
• an expense transfer of $24,000 to 2012/13 to review and consolidate the Justice Sector forecast models
• an expense transfer of $1 million to 2012/13 due to delays in commencing the consideration of constitutional issues, resulting from the National/Maori Party confidence and supply agreement, and
• a transfer of $5,000 from Policy Advice to Victims' services to return unspent funding. Previously $50,000 had been transferred from Victims' Services to Policy Advice to fund an evaluation of services to court users. At the end of the review $5,000 was unspent and this transfer returns that $5,000 to Victims' Services.

Offset by:

• an increase of $570,000 to support the review of knife crime, alcohol research, the evaluation of a compensation claim and the costs associated with an independent review of public prosecution services
• an expense transfer of $600,000 from 2010/11 due to delays in commencing the consideration of constitutional issues, resulting from the National/Maori Party confidence and supply agreement, and
• an expense transfer of $1.000 million from 2010/11 due to the review of the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 and the introduction of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011.

Public Defence Service (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses and Revenue#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

The appropriation has increased by $1.810 million to $16.198 million, due to:

• an increase of $5.499 million following Cabinet approval of a funding increase to support the expansion of the Public Defence Service.

Offset by:

• a decrease of $1.130 million following a review of the Ministry's methodology for allocating corporate and administrative expenses to outputs, and
• a transfer of efficiency savings of $2.559 million to 2012/13.

Sector Leadership and Support (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses and Revenue#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

The appropriation has decreased by $2.420 million to $5.717 million due to:

• a decrease of $232,000 following a review of the Ministry's methodology for allocating corporate and administrative expenses to outputs
• a decrease of $5.097 million due to the transfer of Legal Aid Reform Programme funding to Administration of Legal Services, and
• a transfer of efficiency savings of $32,000 to 2012/13.

Offset by:

• an expense transfer of $2.500 million in 2010/11 for ICT integration work that occurred in 2011/12 following the delays in the passing of the Legal Services Act 2011
• an increase of $141,000 for the Legal Aid Review Panel, and
• an increase of $300,000 for the Justice Sector Sustainability Programme.

Part 2.2 - Non-Departmental Output Expenses#

Community Law Centres (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation

Expenses

Reasons for Change in Appropriation

This appropriation has increased by $880,000 to $10.970 million, due to a transfer from Vote Justice - Non-Departmental output expenses - Legal Aid to address funding pressures in Community Law Centres.

Crime Prevention and Community Safety Programmes (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

The appropriation has decreased by $1.095 million to $7.245 million due to:

• expense transfers of $706,000 to the Vote Justice non-departmental output expense Support and Assistance Provided by Victim Support to Victims of Crime to enable Victim Support to continue working with victims to increase resilience and reduce victimisation, and also to concentrate on managing its service delivery within a set level of funding
• an expense transfer of $500,000 to 2012/13, and
• expense transfers of $570,000, to support the review of knife crime, alcohol research, the evaluation of a compensation claim and the costs associated with an independent review of public prosecution services.

Offset by:

• an expense transfer from 2010/11 of $329,000 to fund work on sexual violence prevention work in response to the report of the Taskforce for Action on Sexual Violence, and
• an expense transfer from 2010/11 of $352,000 to fund work relating to initiatives targeting communities affected by the earthquakes and work relating to the planned national crime prevention partnership.

Equity Promotion and Protection Services (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

This appropriation has increased by $100,000 to $16.818 million due to the implementation of the initiatives of Credit Reporting, Driver Licence Stop Orders, and Civil Enhancements and Reparations, as contained in the Courts and Criminal Matters Legislation. The Privacy Commissioner received the funding for the implementation of Credit Reporting.

Legal Aid (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

This appropriation has decreased by $24.976 million to $156.469 million due to:

• an expense transfer of $15.195 million to address cost pressures in 2012/13. This under spend is the result of the impact of initiatives such as Policing Excellence volumes and the Legal Aid Reform Programme
• a fiscally neutral adjustment of $1.800 million to Vote Treaty Negotiations non-departmental other expense Claimant Funding in 2011/12 to provide for the transfer of legal aid incurred on contributions to claimants for settlement negotiations with the Crown
• a fiscally neutral adjustment of $880,000 to Vote Justice non-departmental other expenses Community Law Centres to address the funding pressures in this appropriation, and
• a decrease of $7.482 million as a result of the Cabinet approving a number of options aimed at establishing a sustainable and affordable baseline for legal aid funding.

Offset by:

• an increase of $381,000 to introduce new attachment orders on legal aid debt.

Producing and Maintaining Electoral Rolls (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

The appropriation has decreased by $5.300 million to $16.081 million as a result of the postponement of the Maori Electoral Option to 2012/13.

Support and Assistance provided by Victim Support to Victims of Crime (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

The increase in appropriation of $706,000 to $7.078 million relates to a transfer from non-departmental output expense Crime Prevention and Community Safety Programmes to ensure that all grants for victims can be paid without recourse to Victim Support's operational funding. This will enable Victim Support to continue working with victims to increase resilience and reduce victimisation, and also to concentrate on managing its service delivery within a set level of funding.

Part 5 - Details and Expected Results for Other Expenses#

Part 5.2 - Non-Departmental Other Expenses#

Administrative Assistance for Foreshore and Seabed Arrangements (M42)

Scope of Appropriation

Expenses

Reasons for Change in Appropriation

The appropriation has decreased by $7.900 million to $500,000, due to:

• a transfer of $3.600 million from 2010/11 for the Implementation of Deeds of Agreement. Funding had not been utilised due to the timing of the review of the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 and its replacement with the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011.

Offset by:

• a transfer of $11.500 million to the 2012/13 year, to Vote Treaty Negotiations appropriations -Contribution toward Determining Customary Interests in Marine and Coastal Area and Agreed Payments for Foreshore and Seabed Deeds of Agreement.

Contribution toward all Foreshore and Seabed Negotiation Costs (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

The appropriation has decreased by $1.568 million to $0, due to:

• a transfer of $425,000 from 2010/11 for the Implementation of Deeds of Agreement. Funding had not been utilised due to the timing of the review of the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 and its replacement with the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011.

Offset by:

• a transfer of $1.993 million to the 2012/13 year, to Vote Treaty Negotiations appropriations -Contribution toward Determining Customary Interests in Marine and Coastal Area and Agreed Payments for Foreshore and Seabed Deeds of Agreement.

Impairment of Legal Aid Debt (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

This appropriation has decreased by $481,000 to $22.319 million due to a revised impairment forecast resulting from improved collection of legal aid debt.

Impairment of Offender Levy (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

This appropriation has decreased by $541,000 due to a revised impairment forecast resulting from improved collection activity.

Victims' Services (M42)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

This appropriation has decreased by $463,000 to $2.386 million, due to:

• an increase in appropriation of $1.501 million due to a transfer of funding from 2010/11 to ensure funding is available in future years for victims of serious crimes
• a transfer of $1.731 million relates to additional cash collected from the offender levy in excess of that forecast at the time of establishing the appropriation, and
• a transfer of $5,000 from departmental output expense Policy Advice to Vote Justice non-departmental output expenses Victims' Services to return unspent funds allocated to evaluate specialist services advisers for the Sexual Violence Courts Support Service.

Offset by:

• a transfer of $3.700 million to 2012/13 to ensure unallocated and unutilised funding is available in the future to improve support for victims of crime and their families.

Part 6 - Details and Expected Results for Capital Expenditure#

Part 6.1 - Departmental Capital Expenditure#

Ministry of Justice - Capital Expenditure PLA (M42)

Scope of Appropriation

Capital Expenditure

Reasons for Change in Appropriation

The decrease in capital expenditure is due to delays in capital spend while the Ministry of Justice reviews its future infrastructure requirements.