§ 87. Mr. Oramasked the Attorney-General if he is aware of long delays in the settlement of some industrial injury appeals; and if he will cause a survey to be made to ascertain the extent and causes of this problem, with a view to avoiding the hardship which can result from serious delay.
The Attorney-GeneralI assume that the hon. Member's Question is directed to the time taken for litigation arising out of an industrial injury claim to be finally determined. The time taken is almost wholly within the control of the parties to the litigation. A considerable period often elapses between the date of the accident and the issue of the writ. Although Rules of Court provide time limits within which the various steps in an action are required to be taken, the parties can waive those limits by agreement or the time can be extended by order of the court. The problem has often been examined and the varying circumstances are well understood. I do not think that a special survey would serve any useful purpose.