To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sustainability of the current funding for the justice system; and what assessment they have made of the Bar Council’s recommendation that an additional £2.48 billion of funding for the justice budget is required.
Answered on
23 November 2020
Government has invested significantly in justice over the last few years which includes an additional £1.3bn in 19/20, and an extra 4.9% real terms increase in the 2020/21 Spending Round settlement. This has put the department’s funding on a more sustainable footing.
In addition, further financial support has been announced throughout 2020/21 including an extra £285m in June for improvements to the Courts and Prisons system to maintain priorities through Covid-19. On top of this, to support the increase pressures on Courts and Tribunals, we recently announced additional funding of £80m as well as an extra £51 million for criminal advocates and solicitors in the Legal Aid sector. This funding is a step forward in making improvements and ensuing a better balance across justice functions.
The Ministry continuously seeks to ensure, through any investment, that it improves the sustainability of the system and will continue to push further where necessary and appropriate. The Chancellor will confirm future year funding at conclusion of Spending Review 2020.