To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the highest 10 payments made by her Department in settlement of personal injury claims brought against it were over the last 12 months for which figures are available; which of those cases were (a) contested and (b) uncontested by the Department; and what the nature of the incident was in each case. (216677)

The Department for Communities and Local Government has settled the following four cases over the 12 months to July 2008:

Liability was not contested in any of these cases. The amount of damages in each case was agreed by negotiation with the claimants' solicitors.