2. The National Mediation Helpline

In contrast to the success of the Small Claims Mediation Service, Philip Hesketh, a professional mediator and a member of the National Mediation Helpline Panel, also writing in the Law Bulletin of the Association of Her Majesty’s District Judges said that in the 18 months to April 2009 there were just over 260 referrals from London courts, less than a 100 from Birmingham and less than 50 from Manchester. Some court regions including Cumbria and Lancashire, had no referrals at all. The figures were surprising given the administrative simplicity of passing a matter to the NMH and the relatively low cost of NMH mediations compared with privately sourced mediations. The fee for a four-hour mediation for a case valued up to £50,000 is £425 plus VAT per party. This includes the mediator’s travel and preparation time. The figures did not mean that mediations are not taking place but that they are not going through the NMH.