Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chief Coroner, Local Authorities and other key partners on reducing the length of time for inquests.

Coroner services are locally funded and administered in each of the 74 coroner areas in England and Wales. Operational issues are the responsibility of the relevant local authority in each area and real-time inquest data is not collated centrally.

The Government publishes annual coroner statistics for England and Wales at: Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK. The 2025 Statistics will be published on 14 May 2026.

The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is swift as possible and puts the bereaved at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems. We will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services England and Wales. This work will also take into account the implications of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill for the delivery of coroner services and the experience of the bereaved at inquest.