Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2020 to Question 49622 on Courts: Coronavirus, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making arrangements with the new owners of (a) Camberwell Green Magistrates Court and (b) any other recently sold courts to utilise those courts for a temporary period to help assist with the need for increased court capacity as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to my answers of 2 June, to Question 49622, and 8 June, to Question 53319.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) officials are looking at how we make the best possible use of the existing estate, as well as creating more capacity. This means considering whether any recently closed courts which are still owned by HMCTS are suitable for reopening, and identifying alternative spaces to further extend provision. Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court has been decommissioned and sold and we are therefore not looking to make arrangements to utilise that court.