Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many sentencing hearings at the Old Bailey were rescheduled because a holding cell was not available in the year ending 31 March 2023; and whether his Department is taking steps to ensure future sentencing hearings at the Old Bailey are not rescheduled for that reason.
No sentencing hearings at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) were rescheduled due to a lack of holding cell availability in the financial year ending 31 March 2023. We do not expect this to be a reason for rescheduling sentencing hearings in future either. We continue to work with our external partners to ensure pressures across the criminal justice system are managed appropriately and to deliver justice for the public.