Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to reduce civil court backlogs.

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.