Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the timely hearing of cases in county courts.

We are taking action to ensure those that do need to go to trial are dealt with quickly. We have launched the biggest ever judicial recruitment drive for District Judges, are digitising court processes and holding more remote hearings, and are increasing the use of mediation. HMCTS’ Virtual Region pilot provides targeted support to the South East and London Regions to hear cases remotely where there is judicial resource available elsewhere in England and Wales.

We announced in July that we would introduce a requirement for small claims in the county court to attend a mediation session with the Small Claims Mediation Service, starting with specified money claims. This requirement will start in the spring and is expected to help parties resolve their dispute swiftly and consensually without the need for a judicial hearing.