Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Deferred
End chronic capital underfunding for the court estate to prevent further disrepair.
Conclusion
It is unacceptable that the court estate has been allowed to enter such disrepair due to years of capital underfunding. While we welcome the Minister’s acknowledgement of the “chronic” underinvestment within the court estate, this Government must end the cycle of underfunding. (Conclusion, Paragraph 99)
Government Response Summary
The government detailed the Civil Auto File Share (CAFS) project, which is introducing a new system to increase electronic document management and streamline workflows within the Civil National Business Centre, but did not address the concerns about the disrepair and underfunding of the physical court estate.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Under the Civil Auto File Share project (CAFS), HMCTS is introducing a new system (via Microsoft PowerApps) to increase the use of electronic document management processes to ensure effective working within the Civil National Business Centre (CNBC) and to ensure case files are transferred electronically between the CNBC and local County Courts. The aim is to eliminate the reliance on physical post, streamline workflows, and enhance transparency and efficiency for users and staff alike. To mitigate digital exclusion and ensure all users benefit, for those unable to submit claims digitally, documents are scanned in and added to the electronic case file. Our ambition to make the Civil National Business Centre (CNBC) fully paperless is progressing. By digitising paper files and enabling secure file sharing within HMCTS, we’re reducing the cost and unreliability of posting, while improving efficiency across the board. The rollout of CAFS began at the end of August and is already helping to streamline how we transfer case files—saving time, money, and effort.