2002 marked the 28th year of operations for ACAS. The 2002/2003 ACAS annual report showed a small but continuing drop in the total number of employment tribunal cases (including around 1,403 potential cases settled before an IT1 form had been issued) amounted to 95,856 (105.909 in 2000/1 and 100,878 in 2001/2) - almost all employment tribunal cases are referred to ACAS to help negotiate a settlement or compromise where possible (see notes at ACAS/functions of/conciliation services ).

At the same time numbers withdrawn or settled before reaching the tribunal stage have increased, with 77 per cent going no further than the Acas stage (76% in the previous year).

Taking into account main and subsidiary claims, unfair dismissal claims (49,424 compared with 53,994 in 2001/2 and 51,721 in 2000/1) remain the single biggest source of complaint - but the figure seems to be settling down to around 50,000 unfair dismissal claims per year.

Taking into account main and subsidiary claims Disability Discrimination Act complaints showed another small increase from 5,051 to 5,380. On the same basis race discrimination claims totalled 3,624 (3,855 in the previous year) and sex discrimination claims, including Equal Pay Act claims, totalled 10,738 (10,182 in the previous year).

An interesting statistic in the 2001/2002 Annual Report was that the ACAS Arbitration Scheme launched in May 2001 had just 13 cases up to 31st March 2002. During 2002 this increased slightly, but only by 23 new cases (see generally Arbitration/ACAS new scheme ) .

The 2002/3 ACAS Annual Report is available on the internet at www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/4/0/Acas_03_AR_1.pdf. Previous ACAS annual reports can all be obtained free from any ACAS office (see ACAS/addresses, tel & fax nos ) or by post from ACAS Publications, PO Box 235, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 1HF, tel 0870 242-9090).

There are relevant notes in the 2003/09/05 - ACAS press release summary of the ACAS 2002/2003 annual report . See also notes generally at Employment tribunals/annual report .