HL Deb 14 September 2001 vol 627 cc14-5WA
Lord Hunt of Wirral

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the additional cost to the Department of Health for damages in clinical negligence cases (over and above provisions and estimates totalling £3.9 billion at 31 March as noted by the National Audit Office) arising from the lowering of the discount rate for personal injury cases from 3 to 2½ per cent announced by the Lord Chancellor on 27 June. [HL617]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The Lord Chancellor's Department is carrying out a full assessment of the impact of the new discount rate, which is being prepared and will be published in due course.