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Wednesday 24 April 2013

Macur Review Questions and Answers

The Macur Review – frequently asked questions 
 
What is the Macur Review?
The independent Macur Review was established to examine the conduct and remit of
Sir Ronald Waterhouse’s inquiry into the abuse of children in care in the Gwynedd
and Clwyd Council areas. The Review’s Terms of Reference are:
“To review the scope of the Waterhouse Inquiry, and whether any specific
allegations of child abuse falling within the terms of reference were not
investigated by the Inquiry, and to make recommendations to the Secretary of
state for Justice and the Secretary of State for Wales. 
 
Why has the decision been taken to have a review now, and by whom?
The Review was established following a statement by the Secretary of State for
Justice, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, on 8 November 2012, and in response to
renewed concerns expressed. 
 
I have heard about an investigation called Operation Pallial. Is that the same as
the Macur Review?
No. Operation Pallial is a separate police investigation running in parallel with the
Macur Review. It is investigating new allegations of historic child abuse, some from
victims previously known about and some fr
om victims who have only recently come
forward for the first time. However, the Macur Review and Operation Pallial have
agreed to work closely together on matters of mutual interest. 
 
Who picked Mrs Justice Macur and why?
Mrs Justice Macur was appointed by the Secretary of State for Justice. She is a
judge in the Family Division of the High Court.
How will the Review be conducted?
The Review will have two main parts. The fi
rst will involve an examination of the
Waterhouse Inquiry’s documents. The second will be concerned with receiving new
information from anyone who believes they
have relevant information and wishes to
get in contact with us. 
 
What is the Issues Paper?
The Issues Paper
was published on 8 January 2013 and sets out some questions
about issues that we are particularly interested in, but it is not intended to be an
exhaustive list. If anyone has information that is not explicitly covered by these
questions, but is relevant to our terms of reference, then we would welcome that
information too.
Who do you expect to hear from during the Review? Is there a deadline?
We are asking anybody who has informati
on on, or concerns about, the setting up,
scope, administration and conduct of the Waterhouse Inquiry to contact the Review.
We would like to hear from you by 29 March 2013.
Do I have to submit answers to all seven questions outlined in the issues
paper or can I submit my own views as free text?
The seven questions in the Issues Paper use our Terms of Reference simply to give
an indication of some of the key areas that we are looking at as part of the Review.
But they are not intended to be an exhaustive list. You can submit answers to any or
all of those questions, or comment on any other issues that you think are relevant to
the Review’s Terms of Reference.
Do I have to respond in writing?
No. As well as written responses, we have set up a facility for people to leave a
verbal response. The Freefone number is 0800 313 4139. You will not be charged as
long as you phone from a landline.
Can I submit my response to the Review team in Welsh?
We welcome responses in either English or Welsh.
Will I able to discuss my views in Welsh if the Review team contact me for
clarification?
If you prefer, we can write to you in Welsh, and would welcome in that language any
further detail that you wish to give in writing. Unfortunately, we are not able to
discuss issues by telephone in the Welsh language.
Will I need to travel to London for any reason if I submit a response to the
Review?
If you are invited to meet with the Review team, it will take place at a location
convenient to you wherever possible.
Will I have to be interviewed by someone?
No. We welcome all responses to the Issues Paper, either in writing or verbally on
our Freefone number 0800 313 4139. In some cases, you might be contacted by a
member of the Review team to ask for further information. This might take the form of
a meeting, but it will be entirely up to you whether or not you attend.
If the Judge wants to interview me can I bring someone along to support me?
Yes, we fully understand that you might find it helpful to have someone with you at
the meeting to support you.
If the Judge wants to interview me can I seek legal advice and is there any
financial help if I can’t afford a solicitor?
Whether you seek legal advice in relation to your involvement with the Review is
entirely a matter for you. But the Review will not normally be able to help with any
legal representation costs that you may incur.
If I’ve been interviewed by the Police as part of Operational Pallial will I need to
speak or write to you separately if I want my views heard by the Macur
Review?
Even if you have already spoken to officers in Operation Pallial, we too would like to
hear from you if you have information relevant to our Review.
Can I respond to the Review if I took part in the original Waterhouse Inquiry?
Yes.
Can I respond on behalf of someone else who is unable to respond to the
Review themselves?
Although we would prefer people having relevant information to contact us
themselves, we recognise that there may be some situations
where they are unable
to do so. In these circumstances, and provided they have agreed, you may respond
on their behalf. But you must clearly explain why they have not been able to respond
themselves.
Can I respond to the Review anonymously?
Yes, if you so wish. However, because difficulties would arise if further clarification of
anything said anonymously were needed, it w
ould be helpful if you could provide us
with your name and contact details in confidence. You should also bear in mind that
the Review may not be able to regard anonymous statements as being wholly
reliable.
In relation to what you say about confidentiality in the Issues Paper, what do
you mean when you say that ‘standard form language on emails is not
sufficient’?
Many email systems automatically add a disclaimer at the end of an email to say that
its contents are confidential. This is not sufficient for us to regard it as the writer t
actually having asked us to treat the info
rmation provided as private and confidential.
If you wish it to be treated that way, you must say so clearly in the body of the email
itself and explain why.
Will the report be made public?
The Review’s Terms of Reference require Mrs Justice Macur to provide her report to
the Government. Whether the report will then be made available publically will be
solely a matter for the Government to decide.
Will I be informed ahead of the report’s publication whether any of the
information I provided will identify me despite my requesting that it be treated
confidentially?
The Review will not identify individuals who hav
e provided us with information if they
have indicated in their submission to us that they wished it to be treated as private
and confidential.
But you should bear in mind that the same information might be
available to the Review from a different source who has not asked for it to be treated
confidentially.

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