Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with stakeholders on (a) plans to re-open and (b) plans for alternative uses of Hartlepool Magistrates' Court.

There are no plans to re-open this court. Hartlepool Magistrates’ and County Court closed in 2017 following a full public consultation and workloads were successfully transferred to Teesside Magistrates’ Court and Middlesbrough County Court.

The property is owned by the local council and HMCTS are contracted under a long lease agreement that allows the property to only be used for court operations. HMCTS are in conversation with the local council to find a suitable alternative use for the building, which will benefit the local community.

We will continue to keep our court and tribunal estate under close review to make sure it meets our operational requirements.