§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they have taken to ensure that employment cases are decided within a reasonable time by industrial tribunals and by the Employment Appeal Tribunal, in accordance with Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
§ Lord InglewoodAdditional resources have been allocated to the industrial tribunals for extra chairmen, administrative staff and premises and for new technology. Legislative measures have been taken to help speed up the industrial tribunal system (such as increasing tribunals' powers to discourage cases with no reasonable chance of success). The Government are also currently considering responses to the Green PaperResolving Employment Rights Disputes—Options for Reform, which included proposals for reducing delays at industrial tribunals.
Extra resources at the Employment Appeal Tribunal have reduced waiting times from 24 months in 1993 to 13 months at the end of 1994 and the Government aim to continue this progress.