Labour peers have tabled proposals in the Lords to halve the fixed fees solicitors can claim from the low-value RTA Portal. Lord Beecham and Lord Bach (pictured) put down amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders bill for debate on Monday.

The changes involve limiting costs to £200 for stage one work, £400 for stage two and £125 for both types of stage three. Incremental amounts are paid depending on how much work the solicitor has put into each case and the medical evidence gathered between stages one and two.

The MoJ has also confirmed it will extend the value of claims in the portal from £10,000 to £25,000 from April 2013. However, plans to extend the scope of the scheme to include public and employer liability are likely to be delayed until a later date.

Meanwhile, the Legal Software Suppliers Association (LSSA) has reported ‘significant progress’ in talks with the RTA Portal operator. The LSSA was unhappy with a new contract offer which would have transferred greater liability to members supplying software for the scheme. However it is understood an updated contract has now been drawn up and could be signed within weeks.