Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of whether the recruitment of more legal advisers will assist the covid-19 recovery in the courts system; and what steps he is taking to ensure that a career as a legal adviser is as attractive as a career in the CPS by correlating pay grades.

Legal advisers are an important component of Covid-19 recovery in the courts system, and the recruitment of legal advisers continues to be a priority for HMCTS. Last year 145 trainee legal advisers were recruited following a national campaign, and a further campaign is underway to recruit a minimum of 100 trainee legal advisers by October 2021. Legal adviser pay and grading does not correlate with that of CPS lawyers due to the differing nature of the roles. The Ministry of Justice has submitted a pay flexibility case to invest in changes to our reward framework via a multi-year deal effective from August 2020. The case is currently being considered by the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, and aims to reduce both operational and financial risks.