Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help tackle the backlog of possession proceedings in court (a) in advance and (b) on implementation of the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The most recent published statistics show the median time from claim to order falls within the Civil Procedure Rules stipulation that possession claims should be listed within 4 to 8 weeks. HMCTS is making improvements to bailiff recruitment and retention practices to ensure staffing resources are available to enforce judgments made by the County Courts in those cases where it is subsequently needed.

The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the justice system is fully prepared for the implementation of the Renters Rights’ Bill.