Conclusion 7

The reforms were originally meant to improve efficiency and reduce HMCTS’s annual spending by £265 million (since revised down to £244 million). HMCTS claims to have saved £133 million so far.16 We asked how HMCTS monitors savings to make sure that they are linked to the reforms. To achieve savings, HMCTS relies on hitting budgets that are reduced in anticipation of changes. It told us that it has a “real challenge when it comes to … understanding … exactly what every bit of every HMCTS member of staff is doing every minute of their day.” HMCTS committed to getting a much better grip on this so it can be more specific about how people’s jobs are changing.17 8 Qq 58, 61, 63 9 Qq 67–68, 127–129 10 Q 41 11 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prisons-and-courts-bill-what-it-means-for-you 12 Qq 42–43 13 Qq 86–87 14 Q 90 15 Ev xx - Magistrates Association submission para 3.2 16 C&AG’s Report paras 1.1, 1.12 17 Q 74 10 Transforming Courts and Tribunals: progress review