Crown Court: Wheelchairs

(asked on 20th June 2022) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of crown courts in (a) each of the 14 Crown Prosecution Service areas and (b) England and Wales as a whole have wheelchair parking facilities as at 1 January 2022.


Answered by
James Cartlidge Portrait
James Cartlidge
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This question was answered on 27th June 2022

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) does not hold information on full wheelchair access and parking facilities at Crown Court locations as at 1 January 2022 and does not record information on these centrally. This information as at June 2022 is being collected and I will write to you to provide this when it is available.

HMCTS gives an indication of available facilities, including wheelchair access and parking facilities, on the Find a Court or Tribunal website at www.find-court-tribunal.service.gov.uk. The information on this website is routinely updated but may not cover everything that can be done to help someone with a disability coming to court. If any Crown Court user has a disability that means they cannot access court information or services, they are encouraged to contact the court involved by phone, in person or in writing. HMCTS will provide any reasonable adjustment to help and support users with disabilities to use court services. Courts may be able to make reasonable adjustments to help users attend a court which does not explicitly have wheelchair access or wheelchair parking facilities indicated on the website.

At least 69 of 87 Crown Court locations are recorded nationally as having hearing loops on site by HMCTS Facilities Management contract provider as at June 2022. Those which do not have hearing loops on site may still have facilities available or be able to make reasonable adjustments to help users who need hearing equipment. Users are encouraged to contact the court involved to discuss what they need to help them attend court and access services. This information is recorded by HMCTS operational region rather than Crown Prosecution Service Areas, as follows:

HMCTS Region

Crown Court Locations

Hearing Loop Confirmed present

London

10

10 (100%)

Midlands

18

12 (67%)

North East/Scotland

11

11 (100%)

North West

10

9 (90%)

South East

21

11 (52%)

South West

13

11 (85%)

Wales

6

5 (83%)

Total

89

69 (83%)

Data relates to the permanent estate only, and does not include Nightingale Courts or other temporary venues.

HMCTS most recently carried out an internal facilities audit in 2019 and is currently reviewing the next opportunity to revisit the facilities audit whilst continuing to ensure facilities for persons with disabilities attending court are monitored to meet their needs.

HMCTS does not centrally record instances where a Crown Court user attends court with an assistance dog, but assistance dogs are welcome in all Crown Court buildings. Users should never be told they cannot bring assistance dogs in our buildings, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

HMCTS is committed to ensuring vulnerable people, including users with disabilities can access the justice system and updated its Vulnerability Action Plan in April 2022. This can be viewed at www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmcts-vulnerability-action-plan.

Pre-trial visits in the Crown Court are conducted by Victim Support in London and the Citizens Advice Witness Service outside of London. Pre-court visits in other court and tribunal jurisdictions may be available to users on request depending on the jurisdiction. HMCTS does not hold records on how many visits have been requested and provided. Anyone who has questions or concerns about going to court is again encouraged to contact the court or any other advisory service available to them to discuss what to expect on the day.

Reticulating Splines