Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the estimated cost is to HM Courts & Tribunals Service of each of the three trials of David Duckenfield on charges of manslaughter arising from the Hillsborough tragedy; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the honourable member to the answer given to PQ 31 on 7 January 2020. In relation to the cost to HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) this was a high-profile case which required additional resources to support its operation, however, the information requested is not held centrally as HMCTS does not record or allocate operating costs at individual case level and is therefore unable to provide the costs requested.

Each case held is assessed for any additional requirements needed to support the operation of the Court proceedings which are deemed a pre-requisite to ensure that a fair and equitable trial is held and access to justice maintained.