To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the present maximum claim is that can be pursued in the small claims court; and what consideration she is giving to (a) increasing and (b) decreasing the threshold. (98310)

The Civil Procedure Rules provide that the small claims track is the normal track for:

any claim for personal injuries which has a financial value of not more than £5,000 where the claim for damages for personal injuries is not more than £1,000;

any claim which includes a claim by a tenant of residential premises against his landlord for repairs or other work to the premises where the estimated cost of the repairs or other work is not more than £1,000 and the financial value of any other claim for damages is not more than £1,000;

any other claim which has a financial value of not more than £5,000.

We intend to publish a consultation paper, which will include consideration of the case track limits, by the end of the year.