House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Courts System: Funding

Tuesday 11 November 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

The court staff explained that they cannot retain legal advisers due to lack of funding.
Legal advisers are critical to the functioning of the magistrates court, and an additional 5.2 million is being invested to retain these staff members.
An additional 450 million has been pledged towards improving court infrastructure and human resources.

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Questions & Answers

Q1 Vikki Slade Lib Dem Mid Dorset and North Poole

Justice & Courts

Context

The MP visited Poole Magistrates Court and observed a shortage of legal advisers rather than magistrates or court space. She noted that additional funding for one extra legal adviser could progress 500 cases annually but retention is an issue.

Question

What steps are being taken to provide adequate funding for the courts system, particularly addressing the shortage of legal advisers which would allow for the progression of 500 cases a year? The court staff explained that they cannot retain these advisers due to lack of funding.

Answer from The Minister for Courts and Legal Services (Sarah Sackman)

Legal advisers are critical to the functioning of the magistrates court, and we are investing an additional £5.2 million in addressing retention challenges to retain these staff members who facilitate 500 cases annually.

Answered

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Q2 Meg Hillier Labour (Co-op) Hackney South and Shoreditch

Justice & Courts Economy

Context

The MP highlights issues uncovered by the Public Accounts Committee regarding problems with court buildings, IT systems, Probation Service, indicating significant difficulties within the courts system.

Question

How long does it take this Government to clear up the mess that the last Government left? The previous government's failure led to a justice system lacking adequate funding and facing issues such as poor infrastructure and inefficient IT systems.