Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Faulks on 16 July (HLWS108), what proportion of the savings made by reducing the cost of the court estate they plan to re-invest, and how they plan to do so.

The consultation paper on the provision of court and tribunal estate in England and Wales will run for 12 weeks from 16 July 2015 until 8 October 2015.

Costs for any future improvements which might be written off, the proportion of any savings as a result of reducing the estate that might be re-invested, and the impact on staff are all subject to consultation. The consultation also asks for views on what types of alternative provision might be appropriate if any sites are closed, including whether civic and other public buildings could be used for hearings. No decisions will be made until every response has been considered carefully.

Information on travel times is included in each regional consultation paper.