HC Deb 28 November 1994 vol 250 cc486-7W
Mr. Bayley

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much public money will be spent on entertaining, Christmas decorations and other festive activities this Christmas season by the Lord Chancellor's Department and Government agencies answerable to this Department; and of this sum how much will be spent in Ministers' private offices and official residences.

Mr. John M. Taylor

Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. Such costs are covered by the entertainment expenditure for the Lord Chancellor's Department, which is contained in the running costs expenditure published in the annual report, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many official Christmas cards the Lord Chancellor and his Ministers intend to send in 1994; how much of these cards will cost(a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card the Lord Chancellor intends to send this year.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The information requested is as follows:

achieved by amending rules of court have already been implemented. Also, we have made considerable progress in developing a precise framework for the further reforms foreshadowed in that statement and on which the Lord Chancellor intends to introduce legislation as soon as he has a suitable opportunity. These reforms include a new defence, recommended by a working group under the chairmanship of Lord Justice Neill, which will avoid the need for a trial if the defendant is prepared to offer amends and pay damages assessed by a judge.

In addition, there will be a new summary procedure, under which every defamation claim will come before the judge at an early stage. He will assess whether the claim is suitable for summary disposal, or whether it should go for trial, with or without a jury. He will have power on summary disposal to award damages up to a fixed ceiling. We believe that the procedure will help the parties to clarify the real issues much earlier, and encourage sensible settlements, as well as providing a fast track for the disposal of straightforward claims.