Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) is planning to take to ensure courts and tribunals can continue to work in the event that there is a local outbreak of covid-19.

HMCTS is committed to ensuring the health and safety of everyone working in and using the courts and tribunals; and to ensuring access to the justice system is maintained despite the public health crisis. Since the start of the pandemic, it has taken a number of steps to ensure that courts and tribunals can remain operational, including in the event of a local outbreak.

Steps being taken include significantly increasing the cleaning regime, with additional cleaners brought in to sanitise frequently touched surfaces, making hand wash and sanitiser available to anyone within the buildings, and using visible queues to ensure that people adhere to social distancing. HMCTS has also introduced measures including plexiglass screens and the requirement (unless exempt) to wear face coverings in all public areas of courts and tribunals across England and Wales.

Court and tribunal staff are following central government guidance and a significant number continue to work from home. Those whose roles require them to work in a physical office are working in risk assessed Covid-secure conditions. But HMCTS and the judiciary are working hard to ensure access to justice can be facilitated in new and innovative ways, too. The number of hearings being held virtually has increased substantially throughout the pandemic, helping to reduce the number of people required to work in or attend physical buildings.

Dealing with local outbreaks must be managed on a case by case basis, working with local health officials and following public health guidance to ensure the most effective measures to control and limit transmission of the virus.