Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Opt-out Collective Actions Regime

Thursday 21 May 2026 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government call for evidence on the opt-out collective actions regime closed in October of the previous year with nearly 100 responses.
  • The Minister emphasizes the importance of preserving a route to redress for consumers while balancing the need for robust competition enforcement.
  • The PACCAR review involves complex issues, and the Government is taking time to ensure the proposals are well-considered.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Julian Smith Con Skipton and Ripon
Business Compliance
Context

The opt-out collective actions regime is under review by the Department.

Question

When does he plan to publish his Department's review of and consultation on the opt-out collective actions regime?

Answer from Kate Dearden

The Government call for evidence on the opt-out collective actions regime closed in October last year, with almost 100 responses received. We are committed to economic growth and robust competition enforcement, including private enforcement, which is good for businesses, consumers and the economy. A consultation will be published as soon as possible.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific date or timeline for publishing the consultation was not provided.

How: Committed To, As Soon As Possible

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Q2 Julian Smith Con Skipton and Ripon
Context

The litigation finance industry is vital for supporting consumer claims, especially after the PACCAR judgment which raised legal issues. The Government had previously stated they would proceed with a Bill to address these issues.

Question

As the Minister says, it is really important that the collective regime continues—we have a great reputation globally for our opt-out regime. The litigation finance industry is vital to supporting claims from consumers. The Government said last year that they would proceed with a Bill to restore a legal issue following the PACCAR judgment, so does she have an update on when that Bill will come forward? It was not in the King's Speech.

Answer from Kate Dearden

As the right hon. Gentleman knows, the PACCAR review involves complex issues, and it is important that we take the time needed to get it right. Great care is being taken to ensure that proposals for the opt-out collective actions balance the need to preserve a route to redress for consumers with ensuring a proportionate regime for business. As I said in my previous answer, officials would be happy to discuss this issue further with the right hon. Gentleman.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide an update on when the Bill addressing the PACCAR judgment issues will be introduced.

How: Complex Issues, Take The Time Needed

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