Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what account was taken of the effect on access to justice in rural areas in his Department’s consultation on the Provision of the Court and Tribunal Estate.

Mr Shailesh Vara

Access to justice is not just about proximity to a court. We are committed to providing alternatives to travel, for example through making better use of technology, including video conferencing, and exploring whether we can appropriately make use of civic buildings for certain types of hearing.

No decision has been taken to close any court. The consultation closed on 8 October and we are considering all responses carefully.