Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made any recent assessment of whether people have unhindered access to the courts of criminal or civil jurisdiction for the determination of disputes as to their legal rights and liabilities.

Accessible courts and tribunals are an essential part of the justice system. There will always be outstanding cases in the courts as the figures include cases that are being prepared to be heard in the courts.

We have removed the limit on sitting days, extended 30 Nightingale courtrooms, and we are extending our plans for judicial recruitment to increase sitting capacity and improve waiting times for victims. To provide additional capacity in the Crown Court, magistrates’ sentencing powers have been extended from 6 to 12 months for a single Triable Either Way offence allowing more cases to be heard in the magistrates' court.

We are also taking steps to ensure people receive appropriate support when attending a court or tribunal. In March we published a detailed consultation on legal aid means-testing arrangements. This consultation has now closed, and we are considering responses. We plan to publish a response in early 2023 to set out our final proposals, which will significantly increase income thresholds for all types of legal aid.

The Government keeps the scope of civil and family legal aid under constant review. We recently announced expansions in housing and family legal aid, investing £23m to support vulnerable people needing legal assistance.