Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish details of the Government's plans to establish a housing court for tenants and landlords in the private rental sector; and if he will make a statement.

We want a system that works for all users who bring housing cases to the courts and tribunal. One that is simpler, leads to swifter justice and which offers an improved service.

The Government launched a Call for Evidence in November last year to better understand the experience of courts and tribunal service users in property cases. We are exploring whether a specialist Housing Court could make it easier for all users to resolve disputes, reduce delays and to secure justice in housing cases, or whether this can be achieved in other ways.

The Call for Evidence closed on 22 January, and we are working closely with officials from the Ministry of Justice to analyse the responses before making any policy decisions.