§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary. Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the percentage of cases in which mediation leads to an outcome which is more satisfactory to those involved than that of a confrontation in court.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe Lord Chancellor has welcomed the growth of private mediation services and he is considering ways in which such services can contribute to his aims of reducing cost, complexity and delay in civil litigation. It is important that alternative methods of dispute resolution, whether inside or outside the court, provide scope to tailor procedures more closely to the needs of disputants. Work at this stage is concentrating on defining these differing needs, rather than attempting to assess accurately disputants' "satisfaction".
§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the effect of local community mediation services on reducing(a) the cost of legal aid and (b) time spent in court.
Mr. John M. TaylorAny alternative methods of resolving disputes which are more economical for the taxpayer, while being speedier and simpler to use by parties to a dispute, would be welcomed. The effect of the introduction of a new system of dispute resolution on the cost of legal aid is something that would have to be considered when developing and implementing a new234W scheme. As many of the disputes referred to community medication would not, otherwise, have reached the courts, it is not possible to assess reliably the effect on court time of such services.