Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in the context of trends in levels of success of mediation for claims under £10,000, whether he has considered the expansion of mediation for higher value claims.

The Government recognises the benefits of mediation in resolving disputes swiftly and consensually.

Mandatory mediation for small money claims below £10,000 is now integrated into the county court process, saving time and costs. A formal evaluation will be published in the summer of this year and will inform decisions on further expansion of mandatory mediation.

The Civil Procedure Rules were amended in October 2024 to give judges power to order mediation at their discretion in higher value claims over £10,000.