Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to tackle delays in court proceedings in the criminal justice system.

We have responded quickly and innovatively to the challenge posed by the Covid-19 pandemic to our criminal courts and the wider justice system.

As one of the first among other comparable jurisdictions globally to resume jury trials, our Crown Courts currently list thousands of cases each week, including the listing of over 230 jury trials. We have invested a record £142m to improve court and tribunal buildings – the biggest single investment in court estate maintenance for more than 20 years – and are spending £110m on a range of emergency measures to tackle the impact of COVID-19, including the recruitment of 1,600 additional staff. The opening of 17 Nightingale Courts has unlocked vital additional capacity, and we have plans to open a further 40 Nightingale court rooms.

We continue to build on these steps and are working closely with criminal justice partners to further improve performance. We have piloted temporary ‘COVID operating hours’ at seven Crown Court sites and a targeted consultation is underway on the potential further roll out of COVID operating hours.