Valerie Speaks on Court Reforms

At Justice Questions on 28 March 2023 I asked a question to the Minister about HM Courts and Tribunals Service’s (HMCTS) paused court Reform Program. The National Audit Office published its report “Progress on the courts and tribunals reform programme” on 23 February 2023. 

I asked the Minister:

“The probate service was part of the reform programme, which has now been paused following a National Audit Office report, so could the Minister say who is responsible for this shambolic waste of public money, and what the next steps are?”

The Minister did not provide an adequate response to my question. The Minister failed to mention the reform program at all and failed to address the waste of public money.

The Government has spent £1.6bn of public money since 2016 on a reform program to modernise the courts system. HMCTS recently announced that parts of the program were to be paused without meeting the program’s original targets.

The Government is yet to make any statement on this wastage of public money. 

A copy of the report is here: Progress on the courts and tribunals reform programme – National Audit Office (NAO) report.