Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much money from the public purse HM Courts & Tribunals Service spent on (a) the common platform and (b) other digital projects in relation to the Crown Court in the financial year 2018-19.

I can confirm that Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service spend on (a) the development of the Common Platform was £37.3m (this includes both Crown and Magistrates systems) and (b) £5.2m on other digital projects in relation to the Crown Court in the financial year 2018-19. This excludes ongoing support charges.

The Common Platform is intended to deliver a unified way of digital working for HMCTS and CPS staff and the wider participants in the criminal case management process. Through digital working, we will improve the experience for court users and those working within the criminal justice system, whilst reducing cost and maintaining transparency.