Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of open magistrates courts in Lancashire.

Both Preston and Blackpool magistrates’ courts are temporarily closed in response to professional assessments about the safety of RAAC in those court buildings. I am however confident that there are sufficient open courts in Lancashire to list cases that have been displaced as a result of these temporary closures and I am grateful to judiciary and all those involved in putting in place these temporary arrangements.

We will be investing £220m in the two years to March 2025 to improve the overall quality and enhance the resilience of the court and tribunal estate and ensure that those buildings most in need of investment get it.