HC Deb 16 January 1998 vol 304 cc358-60W
Mr. Clapham

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what measures he will take under his legal aid reforms to ensure that removing the principles of loser pays all will not encourage unnecessary delays in the judicial process. [22433]

Mr. Hoon

I have no proposals to amend the principle that the "loser pays all" under the legal aid reforms that we have announced. Any proposals to apply fixed

Declared political allegiances by Welsh Advisory Committee area and bench
CON LAB LD PC Other/not-committeed
Clwyd
Berwyn 4 2 4 1 2
Colwyn 19 8 11 2 3
Dyffryn Clwyd 9 2 7 2 2
Flint 12 10 4 3 3
Harwarden 10 17 2 0 3
Mold 11 10 7 3 3
Rhuddlan 27 14 7 5 1
Wrexham Maelor 34 34 27 2 2
Total Clwyd 126 97 69 18 19
Dyfed (3 Committees)
Carmarthen North 3 2 2 2 2
Carmarthen South 8 7 6 8 9
De Ceredigion 2 1 2 2 5
Ceredigion Ganol 3 2 3 5 0
Cleddau 15 2 4 0 7
Dinefwr 1 8 6 4 11
Gogledd Ceredigion 3 4 3 4 6
Gogledd Preseli 2 2 2 2 1
Llanelli 14 24 8 4 17
South Pembrokeshire 11 11 7 0 3
Total Dyfed 62 63 43 31 61
Mid Glamorgan
Cynon Valley 11 16 4 7 0
Merthyr Tydfil 11 23 5 1 2
Miskin 17 26 9 3 24
Newcastle and Ogmore 22 39 6 2 14
Total Mid Glamorgan 61 104 24 13 40
South Glamorgan
Cardiff 100 80 56 3 23
Vale of Glamorgan 40 25 8 2 9
Total South Glamorgan 140 105 64 5 32
West Glamorgan
Neath/Port Talbot 35 49 21 6 26
Swansea County 66 72 28 2 16
Total West Glamorgan 101 121 49 8 42
Gwent
Bedwellty 19 26 10 1 17
East Gwent 37 28 9 0 16
Lower Rhymney Valley 13 20 4 1 8
Newport 45 38 18 2 13
Upper Rhymney Valley 2 5 0 0 5
Total Gwent 116 117 41 4 59
Gwynedd (3 Committees)
Aberconwy 17 7 8 5 2
Bangor 7 0 7 7 2
Caenarfon/Gwyrfai 5 2 4 9 0

recoverable costs in fast track cases, as part of the civil justice reforms, will, in common with the intention of the fast track, attempt to reduce delay.