Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing and exemption for police forces from HM Courts & Tribunals Service fees for all civil order applications issued in support of operational policing to reduce crime and protect the vulnerable.

The Ministry of Justice does not consider it appropriate to introduce a blanket exemption for police forces from HM Courts & Tribunals Service fees for all civil order applications. However, we will continue to work closely with all government departments, including the Home Office, to ensure these fees are set at the appropriate levels. In 2019/2020, there was a net fee income of £724m against the £2bn running costs of HMCTS. It is only right that we seek to recover a contribution towards the costs of providing these services from court and tribunal users – including public authorities – where they can afford to do so. These contributions are used to fund a more effective and efficient courts service and support wider access to justice.