Minister’s response to Parliamentary Question concerning the effectiveness of mediation from:

Oliver Heald MP
Member of Parliament for North East Hertfordshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of mediations; and if he will make a statement. [13448]

Mr Djanogly: People often find themselves involved in court actions when their disagreements might be better resolved between themselves at a much earlier stage and with a more satisfactory outcome, through processes such as mediation, rather than the 'winner takes all' approach offered by litigation. The intervention of the court should only be sought when a genuine point of law exists or when people or businesses are at risk. As a Government, we are keen for people to take a less adversarial and a more collaborative approach to solving their problems and encourage greater use of mediation in both civil and family issues.

Hansard 14.9.10