§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on progress towards improvements to court procedures for business debt recovery.
Mr. John M. TaylorBoth the Lord Chancellor and I recognise the difficulties that late payment causes the business community. Although it would not be equitable to single out business debts for special treatment by the courts, we are committed to improving the efficiency of the court system for the benefit of all court users. For example, procedures have been streamlined and simplified through initiatives such as the establishment of the computerised summons production centre and the county court bulk centre; more general measures for replies to summonses to be sent directly to plaintiffs and allow them to prepare a range of court documents, giving greater control over the speed with which their cases move through the system. Recent changes to the small claims procedure—October 1992—have reduced the number of times a party is required to attend court.
Other improvements, such as a measure to encourage district judges to help unrepresented litigants present their cases and giving them the right to be represented by someone other than a lawyer at a small claims hearing, are of equal benefit to business men as to other litigants. During 1993 improvements will be made to a number of post-judgment procedures including administration orders and oral examinations.