Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time was between application to the Employment Tribunal and hearing in each of the last three years.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts and Tribunals Service does not hold the requested information.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what performance metrics exist for the Civil National Business Centre; and whether those metrics are being met.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts & Tribunals Service publishes weekly performance metrics for the Civil National Business Centre. The target is 5 working days and 11 out of 15 workstreams are currently in target.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to reduce civil court backlogs.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The courts, as the cornerstone of the civil justice system, play a crucial role in supporting economic growth, enabling businesses and citizens to resolve disputes in a timely fashion and uphold their rights.
Though most civil claims made in the county courts result in a default judgment or out-of-court settlement, there have been long standing challenges with delays in the 3% of claims that require a full trial. HM Courts & Tribunals Service is working in partnership with the judiciary to address this.
We have increased the use of mediation, making mediation a requirement in all defended claims for under £10,000. This enables more claims to reach a consensual resolution at an earlier stage and frees up resource to deal with those claims that require judicial determination. In addition, increased digital working through our reformed systems allow money claims, including those involving businesses with legal representation, to reach trial readiness over three times quicker than paper claims.
Asked by: Baroness Eaton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of appeals to the First-tier Tribunal against local authority decisions relating to special education needs are upheld.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In the Academic Year 2023-24 (the latest period for which statistics have been published), 16,726 appeals were disposed, of which 11,157 appeals had outcomes decided. Of the 11,157 decided, 11,007 were decided in favour of the appellant (upheld1). This represents 66% of all outcomes (conceded, decided and withdrawn) and 99% of the total appeals decided in this Academic Year.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (which administers the First-tier Tribunal for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)) is working with colleagues from the Department for Education to understand the increase in Education, Health Care Plans (EHCPs); the increasing demand on the Tribunal; and also, how to improve initial decision making by Local Authorities.
Information about appeal outcomes to SEND is published at: Tribunals statistics quarterly: July to September 2024 - GOV.UK.
1Appeals are counted as upheld when the majority of the Local Authority’s decision is overturned.
Asked by: David Burton-Sampson (Labour - Southend West and Leigh)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help reduce the backlog in small claims business cases.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The courts, as the cornerstone of the civil justice system, play a crucial role in supporting economic growth, enabling businesses and citizens to resolve disputes in a timely fashion and uphold their rights.
Though most civil claims made in the county courts result in a default judgment or out-of-court settlement, there have been long standing challenges with delays in the 3% of claims that require a full trial. HM Courts & Tribunals Service is working in partnership with the judiciary to address this.
We have increased the use of mediation, making mediation a requirement in all defended claims for under £10,000. This enables more claims to reach a consensual resolution at an earlier stage and frees up resource to deal with those claims that require judicial determination. In addition, increased digital working through our reformed systems allow money claims, including those involving businesses with legal representation, to reach trial readiness over three times quicker than paper claims.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Employment Tribunal cases had been outstanding for more than 12 months in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
A case may be outstanding for many reasons, often driven by the behaviour and choices of the parties. HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold information on the number of outstanding cases for more than 12 months.
Mar. 27 2025
Source Page: List of Public Bodies in Scotland: FOI releaseFound: Accountant in Bankruptcy Communities Scotland Fisheries Research Services Historic Scotland HM
Mar. 27 2025
Source Page: Number and definition of public bodies in Scotland: FOI releaseFound: Accountant in Bankruptcy Communities Scotland Fisheries Research Services Historic Scotland HM
Apr. 22 2025
Source Page: National public bodies in Scotland: FOI releaseFound: Accountant in Bankruptcy Communities Scotland Fisheries Research Services Historic Scotland HM
Found: systems in England and Wales MoJ bodies HM Courts & Tribunals Service is responsible for the administration