Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will increase funding for (a) magistrates courts and (b) county courts to prevent court closures.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service assesses the court and tribunal estate against its estates principles - ensuring access to justice, delivering value for money and enabling efficiency in longer-term.

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 with every penny of those closed since 2016 reinvested in the justice system.

We have always been clear that our Reform Programme will result in the need for fewer court and tribunal buildings and that this will only happen when there is sound evidence that people are using them less.

There are currently no active proposals to close further crown or magistrates’ courts beyond those already announced.