§ 34. Dr. CableTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the use of IT in the court system. [574121
§ Yvette CooperCurrent IT systems in the courts are relatively old, limited in their scope and in their ability to communicate with IT in other parts of the justice system.
The Lord Chancellor's Department has started a programme of IT modernisation to improve service to users of the justice system and to meet the e-Government targets set by the Prime Minister.
The first step in this process is well under way with the introduction of a modern IT infrastructure and is 75 per cent. complete in the magistrates courts. Subject to funding, it will be completed in 2004 for the Crown and civil courts.