Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many court buildings that have closed since 2010 have (a) been sold and (b) remain unsold; how much money has been raised by those sales; and what the cost to the public purse has been of maintaining unsold court premises.

Of the court buildings that have closed since 2010, 158 have been sold and 15 remain unsold. HMCTS courts buildings are sold as quickly as possible while ensuring fair value for the taxpayer. A total of £231.7m has been raised from sales (as at 31 December 2018) Information regarding the cost to the public purse of maintaining unsold court premises could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The closure of any court is not taken lightly – it only happens following full public consultation. We have been clear that courts are only being closed where they are underused, dilapidated or too close to one another.

This government is investing over £1 billion to reform and modernise the justice system, providing easier and more efficient justice for all.

As we increase the use of digital services, it makes sense to consider the wider role and need for court buildings and assess whether some are still necessary to provide effective access to justice.