Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which courts have fees set at cost recovery levels.

Our courts and tribunals play a critical role in our society and it is vital we preserve the principle of access to justice by providing a properly funded service.

It is right that those who use the court and tribunal system should pay more to relieve the burden on the taxpayer.

At every stage we have sought to protect the most vulnerable by ensuring that a system of fee remissions and exemptions is in place for those who cannot afford to pay a fee.

In the civil courts the fees for issuing money claims worth less than £10,000 and the hearing fees in small claims are set at cost recovery levels and in the family courts the fees for public law family proceedings, care and supervision orders, are at cost recovery levels. Additionally, applications for a grant of probate are also currently set at cost recovery levels.