Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many closed magistrates' courts have not yet been repurposed for another use.

HMCTS does not hold information about the current use of courts that it has sold.

Of the seven former magistrates’ court buildings which have been closed and are still owned by HMCTS, one is in use as a Nightingale Court and two have sales due to complete in April 2022. The remaining sites are in the process of being sold.

The decision to close any court is not taken lightly. It only happens following full public consultation and only when effective access to justice can be maintained. Courts that have closed were either underused, dilapidated or too close to one another.