Industrial Tribunals (Hansard, 4 February 1985)

§ Mr. Holt
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the cost-effectiveness and workings of industrial tribunals.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
I am satisfied that the industrial tribunals are providing a service that is generally cost-effective and working well. We will continue to look for further improvements without impairing judicial standards or independence and taking proper account of the interests of the parties involved in the system.

§ Mr. Holt
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many industrial tribunals there are in the United Kingdom; and where they are situated.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
Industrial tribunals sit at the times and places determined by the presidents of the industrial tribunals and their regional chairmen. Permanent accommodation for hearing industrial tribunal cases is provided at 25 locations in England and Wales and at 5 locations in Scotland. These are situated as follows:

Birmingham^*

Shrewsbury

Bristol^*

Exeter

Bury St. Edmunds^*

Bedford

Cambridge

Norwich

Cardiff^*

Leeds^*

Hull

Liverpool^*

London Central^*

Ashford

London North^*

London South^*

Brighton

Manchester^*

Newcastle^*

Middlesbrough

Nottingham^*

Leicester

Sheffield^*

Southampton^*

Reading

Glasgow

Edinburgh

Dundee

Aberdeen

Inverness

^* Regional offices of the industrial tribunals.
Tribunals are held at centres in other locations as and when requested. Questions relating to the industrial tribunals in Nothern Ireland are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

§ Mr. Holt
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how much has been paid, in each of the past five years, to industrial tribunal chairmen and panellists by way of allowances and expenses.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
The information requested is as follows:
405W

1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84

£000's £000's £000's £000's £000's

Salaries of presidents and full-time chairmen ^* ^* 1,683 1,962 2,038

Fees of part-time chairmen and members 1,490 2,244 2,625 3,028 3,302

Travel and subsistence expenses of presidents and full-time chairmen ^* ^* 43 48 53

Travel and subsistence expenses of part-time chairmen and members 460 452 580 674 762

^* The information is not available in the form requested for 1979–80 and 1980–81.

§ Mr. Holt
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many respondents have obtained costs from industrial tribunals, since powers to award costs were made available for frivolous and vexatious cases; and what was the largest sum awarded.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
The information is readily available only in respect of cases which have been the subject of a pre-hearing assessment. In the four years since the pre-hearing assessment procedure was introduced in October 1980, costs were awarded to 271 respondents at full hearings following such assessment. The largest sum awarded was £1,092.50p.

	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84
	£000's	£000's	£000's	£000's	£000's
Salaries of presidents and full-time chairmen	^*	^*	1,683	1,962	2,038
Fees of part-time chairmen and members	1,490	2,244	2,625	3,028	3,302
Travel and subsistence expenses of presidents and full-time chairmen	^*	^*	43	48	53
Travel and subsistence expenses of part-time chairmen and members	460	452	580	674	762
^* The information is not available in the form requested for 1979–80 and 1980–81.