Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has his Department made of the average costs incurred by jurors since 2011, and a) whether they plan to update remuneration for travel and subsistence costs to be in line with current government rates, and b) whether they have plans to revise the day rates claimable for loss of earning to reflect the rise in the National Minimum Wage.

Jury service is an important civic duty, and the Government is committed to ensuring jurors feel supported throughout their service.

Jurors do not receive direct payment for jury service but may claim allowances towards financial loss – albeit there has been no recent assessment or current plans to align juror travel and subsistence allowances with current government rates or to revise loss-of-earnings allowances to reflect increases in the National Minimum Wage. All support to jurors is kept under review to ensure it remains appropriate and accessible.

However, courts may be able to arrange to pay expenses during the trial if a juror is facing financial hardship. Applications for a deferral or excusal based upon financial hardship can also be made when summoned.