They will also be expected to convey local concerns about risks posed by dangerous offenders and to make suggestions on how levels of public protection can be improved.A government source said: “They will monitor how sexual and violent offenders are being monitored in their communities. But it stops well short of meeting the Paynes’ demand for a “Sarah’s Law” that would give the public rights of access to the 18,000 names on the Sex Offenders Register.Under the system to be announced next week, two lay members will be appointed to Multi-Agency Public Protection (Mapp) panels being established in 42 areas covering the whole of England and Wales.The lay members, who will be recruited through a series of advertisements to be placed this month, will be expected to convey public concerns to professional probation and police officers who will also sit on the panels.The lay members will be expected to act as watchdogs over the criminal justice professionals, examining their working practices and scrutinising their handling of sensitive cases. The public is to be given direct involvement in the management of thousands of paedophiles and other dangerous criminals, David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, will announce next week.
Members of local communities will be allowed to play a part in deciding how dangerous sexual and violent offenders living in their neighbourhoods are monitored and prevented from attacking children.The scheme is designed to address concerns raised by the parents of the murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne. While such attacks are likely to be “infrequent”, they are “unpredictable as to timing and location”, it said.Defence sources stressed the reservists would form only one part of the military response in the event of a terrorist attack and that the full resources of the regular forces would also be available.Nevertheless, the announcement represents a substantial shift in the Government’s thinking on the reserves after the 1998 strategic defence review recommended a big reduction in their numbers.. What we are doing is improving those in the light of those appalling events on September 11 in the United States,” he said.The consultation paper also envisages an enhanced role for the armed forces in civil contingency planning.It said the 2 Signal Brigade – a predominantly Territorial Army formation – would be equipped with a radio communication system compatible with the police and civil emergency services.It envisages that the new force would be deployed only in the “wholly exceptional” circumstances of a major terrorist attack. Will this simply add to overstretch?”Defence sources insisted Britain already had well developed structures in place and did not need the sort of radical changes seen in America.Mr Hoon stressed that the reaction force was simply one part of the Government’s wider response to the increased terrorist threat.”Sadly, we have a long history of terrorism in the UK We have had to develop appropriate mechanisms.

The present commitments of the armed forces already outstrip resources. The discussion paper will create an opportunity for the Reserves, their employers and other interested parties, including local authorities and emergency services, to influence our thinking.”Bernard Jenkin, the shadow Defence Secretary, said: “The UK is miles behind the US and other countries on the issue of homeland defence. This work sets out how military arrangements for liaising with the civil authorities could be enhanced and how best to co-ordinate military assistance to them if requested.”We want the widest possible consideration of these proposals. Military planners concluded that would put a further burden on the overstretched armed forces.Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, said: “The Volunteer Reserves could play an important role in meeting the challenges posed following the terrorist attacks in the United States. The Government announced plans yesterday for the volunteer reserves of the armed forces to be used in support of civil authorities in response to terrorist attacks.
The proposal was drawn up because of the 11 September attacks on America and the fear of similar action in this country prompted by Britain’s backing for the “war on terrorism” and the deployment of troops in Afghanistan.About 6,000 members of the volunteer reserves are expected to form the Reserve Reaction Force under plans outlined in the discussion document “The Role of the Reserves in Home Defence and Security”.The document concludes that Britain should not have specific military units similar to the American Department of Homeland Security. This could stall diplomatic efforts for at least six months.More than 1,394 Palestinians and 509 Israelis have been killed since the latest violence broke out in September 2000.The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said that in preparation for Mr Sharon’s visit Mr Blair had spoken about the conflict in the Middle East in a phone call with King Abdullah of Jordan yesterday.The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Maher, said the Israeli army surrounding Mr Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah was a challenge to US peace efforts..

The Israeli leader restated his position that violence must end before peace negotiations can begin and reiterated his belief that talks would not be successful as long as Yasser Arafat remained the Palestinian leader.A senior Israeli official said Mr Sharon had cautioned Mr Bush against trying to force a peace agreement on Israel that would lead to the collapse of the government followed by elections. He added that “both Prime Ministers agreed to keep in close contact”.Mr Sharon told Mr Blair he had received firm backing from Mr Bush, who expressed his support for Israel’s “right to defend herself”. Tony Blair held a meeting on the Middle East crisis with Ariel Sharon yesterday, who briefed him on his talks in Washington.
The Israeli Prime Minister, calling at Downing Street on his way back from discussions with the American President, George Bush, is believed to have told Mr Blair that he supports the creation of a Palestinian state but only after Palestinian attacks on Israelis have completely ended.Mr Blair stressed that he wanted to see “an early restart to the political process” and his “determination to do all he could to help”.The hour-long meeting at Downing Street took place shortly after an Israeli girl and a Palestinian boy were killed in a fresh outbreak of violence.A Downing Street spokesman said the talks had been “useful and constructive”. Rooms in the palace are also used by the royals’ servants and officials.Members of the Commons Public Accounts Committee will be briefed by the Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir Michael Peat, on the operation of the palace.Their visit follows a report in March last year in which the committee suggested the Royal Household reduce the burden on the taxpayer by letting out some properties at commercial rates.The committee will decide after the visit whether to publish a new report.Kensington Palace has come under renewed scrutiny since the death in February of Princess Margaret.* A fire at Buckingham Palace on the Sunday of the Queen’s golden jubilee weekend celebrations was caused by an electric heater brought in to tackle dry rot, investigators said yesterday.. A committee of MPs is to visit Kensington Palace today to check if the taxpayer is getting value for money from the building, where several members of the Royal Family have grace and favour apartments.
Among the “fringe” royals who live at the palace are Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Princess Alice.Each is understood to pay only a peppercorn rent for the luxurious accommodation in the heart of one of London’s most exclusive and expensive residential areas. Most MPs backed an expansion of state funding amid fears that Labour was now seen in many voters’ eyes as “sleazier” than the previous Tory government.. If the electorate want a healthy Parliament and independent political parties then they must be prepared to fund them from the public purse.”He warned reporters: “Both of us depend for our status on the standing of Parliament and that standing is at its lowest since the introduction of a mass franchise.”Labour backbenchers spent more than an hour discussing funding at yesterday’s weekly meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

All political parties must summon up the courage to recognise that the present funding of political parties is damaging the credibility of Parliament.”The only possible source of funding that is not open to misconstruction is the electorate itself. He said: “I think it is unlikely that, before the election, we won’t have propositions to put, either in the manifesto or before that.”Tony Blair is known to favour wider state funding of politics, but until now ministers have been reluctant to make a public case for reform, fearing a backlash from taxpayers.In a speech to political journalists, Mr Cook said: “The problem is not whether we can properly defend each single donation As the Trotskyists used to say, the problem is the system. The proposals involve greater state funding for e-democracy, training and helping parties to forge international links.Opposition parties already benefit from millions of pounds of taxpayers’ support for research and policy development but any expansion will be seen as a symbolic step towards wider reform.Mr Clarke confirmed that increased state funding was among options being “actively considered”. Mr Cook and Charles Clarke, the Labour Party chairman, led calls for state funding to be expanded, launching what appeared to be a concerted attempt to prepare the ground for reform.John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, also voiced his support for the step yesterday at a private meeting of backbench MPs.The drive comes after controversies over large donations from the Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone (his £1m was returned), the steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and the Daily Express publisher Richard Desmond.Ministers are considering proposals from Mr Clarke, the Conservative chairman David Davis and Lord Razzall, chairman of the Liberal Democrat campaigns committee. Radical proposals for state funding of political parties to end claims of sleaze over donations by wealthy party supporters could be published before the next election, ministers said yesterday.
Robin Cook, the Leader of the Commons, hinted that state funding could replace huge payments to parties by private donors, insisting that moves to put political funding “beyond allegations of private influence” were long overdue.