Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many legal claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic are currently being pursued against the Department of Health and Social Care; and how much money any such claims are for.

There are currently 23 issued judicial review claims relating to COVID-19 which name the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care as a defendant. At present, the majority of claims for judicial review seek public law remedies that are not damages. Only two claims seek damages, one for up to £20,000 and one for an unspecified sum for ‘just satisfaction’ under Section 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998.

There is currently one private law claim that has been issued against the Secretary of State and is seeking damages. The value of the losses being disputed is estimated to be up to £29 million.