Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Magistrates' Court Mock Trial Competitions grant.

As part of the grant management process finance and performance reviews of the Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition Grant take place annually. A grant award of £25,000 was made to the Citizenship Foundation in the financial year 2020/2021 to support an interactive programme that introduces state school students aged 12-14 to the criminal justice system through the workings of the magistrates’ court. The award has made a contribution to giving young people an understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens, knowledge of the legal system and societal skills for later life, such as advocacy and constructive influencing.