Notices

Use of conference telephones and video facilities for applications and hearings before Queen's Bench Masters

1 Telephone conferencesThe following masters have conference telephones available for use:The Senior Master, Master Prebble, Master Trench, Master Tennant, Master Eyre, Master Leslie and Master Ungley.Permission to conduct a telephone application should be sought from the Assigned Master.

If granted, and a date and time are given, the applicant should:(i) Book a conference call through BT by telephoning this number:0800 028 4194 or through an equivalent provider.(ii) Ensure that the master, well in advance of the hearing, has all thenecessary papers suitably paginated and that a similar bundle isavailable to the respondent.[There is a practice direction on such hearings in part 23 - see page 389 of Civil Procedure Spring 2001].2 Video facilitiesAvailable to QB Masters as follows:The Senior Master in room E117 - on the following number: 0207 831 6094 and all other masters - in room E110.(A) To book a hearing by video conference before a master, other than the Senior Master, the following steps should be taken:(i) The master's agreement must be obtained.(ii) The hearing date and time given by the master must be logged with the MSU.

The MSU will instruct the applicant to contact Roger Little/Norman Muller tel: 0207 947 6357/6581.Please note room E110 is used during the mornings, it will only be available from 2pm onwards.

There is no protocol or practice direction for video hearings at present, but one is due to be published shortly.(B) Applications for video hearings before the Senior Master tel: 0207 831 6094 should be made to him at the time of seeking a PRA but no notice has to be given to MSU.The parties must comply with paragraph 1(ii) above.

Contaminated land - clarificationWe have been asked to point out that a recent notice, 'Contaminated land - environmental reports/searches' ([2001] Gazette, 31 August, 38), was issued by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and not the Law Society.