To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what date the Ministry of Justice issued advice to Government departments to (a) always consult his Department's Crown Dependencies Branch before making any statements on answers to parliamentary questions about Crown Dependencies and (b) where a UK policy initiative requires consultation with Crown Dependencies, to allow sufficient time for their governments to make consultation effective; on what date and in what manner he received notification from the Department of Health prior to its decisions to abrogate the reciprocal NHS arrangements with (i) Guernsey and Jersey with effect from 1 April 2009 and (ii) the Isle of Man from 1 April 2010; and if he will make a statement. (305811)

Advice on consultation with the Ministry of Justice regarding the Crown Dependencies was circulated to all Departments in June 2006 and has been available on departmental websites since that time. It is currently being updated and will be re-circulated to all Departments in the new year. Officials in the Department of Health and the Ministry of Justice liaised on the UK Government’s decision to withdraw from bilateral health agreements with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man from February 2008.