§ 41. Mr. OttawayTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on delays in the Commercial Division of the High Court.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe Commercial Division has reached a relatively stable position and has been able to allocate trial times for parties who are ready for trial. Recent promotions to the Court of Appeal have, however, 17 had a temporary effect on waiting times, although I am confident that when new appointments are made, matters will improve rapidly.
§ Mr. OttawayMy hon. Friend is aware of the reputation of the Commercial Division for the international resolution of disputes. Is he also aware that 90 per cent. of cases heard in the Commercial Division involve at least one foreign party, and that that generates an income running into hundreds of millions of pounds, which helps our balance of payments by way of invisible exports? Is not it short-sighted in the extreme to underman that court by a shortage of commercial judges which, I understand, will continue into next year?
Mr. TaylorNo. At the beginning of the current legal term, only five judges were available to sit in the Commercial Division although lists are planned on the basis that six judges are available to sit. A further nomination can be expected very soon.