Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to modernise the court estate.

Historic underfunding has resulted in challenges across the HMCTS estate, with an estimated £1.3bn maintenance backlog. In 2026/27, £287m of capital funding will be invested in the HMCTS estate. This investment represents a significant increase on previous years, delivering estate improvements, digital upgrades and capital projects across the court estate.

In 2026/27 alone, we are working to deliver a substantial programme of improvement work, including over 40 roof replacement projects, 30 boiler and heating upgrades, 19 cooling and ventilation improvements, and over 50 security enhancement projects, helping to modernise our estate and build resilience.