§ Mr. BurnettTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the method employed by the Court Service to calculate the estimated reduction of litigation and consequential short-fall of fee income in the financial year 2000–01. [108826]
§ Jane KennedyTo calculate the estimated reduction in litigation, the number of claims issued over two period of six months were compared. These were May to October 1998 and May to October 1999. This comparison showed that the total of originating proceedings (excluding family and insolvency) commenced in total declined by 23 per cent. The calculation of the estimated shortfall in fee income was based on a combination of actual income from April to December 1999 and three months of forecast income to March 2000. Income for 2000–01 is expected to be £308 million. The calculated level of new income from the changed fees in a full year has been downgraded by 9 per cent. for 2000–01 to allow for the fact that the higher fees will not apply for the whole of the financial year and a small decline in workload.