Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the evidential basis was for the Government's decision to consult on raising the small claims limit from £1,000 to £5,000 for (a) employer liability, (b) public liability and (c) clinical negligence.

A consultation paper and impact assessment setting out the case for reform were published on 17 November and are available on gov.uk.

The small claims limit for personal injury claims has not been increased for 25 years, and raising the limit to include some low level employers liability, public liability and clinical negligence claims would make sure all types of PI claims are treated uniformly.

The consultation closes on 6 January and the government is due to publish its response by Friday 7 April 2017.