To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases have been taken to the small claims courts in each of the last five years; how many judgments in favour of the claimants were made in each year as a result of these cases; and in how many cases in each year the orders have been successfully enforced. [36340]

The figures requested are as follows:

Year	Cases heard	Judgment for plaintiff
1993	105,843	—
1994	87,885	—
1995	88,170	—
1996	94,050	181,720
1997	97,813	180,680
1 Figures are derived from a three month sample.

Figures on judgments for plaintiffs before 1996 and on successfully enforced cases are not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.