Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of available courtrooms currently sitting in the Crown Court estate, and whether additional courtrooms could be brought into use.

In January 2026 there were 508 Crown courtrooms available for use in the court estate.

In respect of whether additional courtrooms can be brought into use, Harrow Crown Court which has been closed since August 2023, will reopen in April following significant roof replacement works, bringing back into operation an eight-courtroom building. Two temporary Crown courtrooms at Willesden Magistrates’ Court, used as a contingency for Harrow, will revert back to magistrates’ courtrooms. Additionally, the City of London Law Courts is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2027, providing eight additional Crown courtrooms.

We continue to keep the court estate under regular review to ensure it aligns with operational priorities.