A court closed due to the discovery of crumbling concrete might not reopen for another nine months. 

Harrow Crown Court was shut at the end of August after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found during improvement works.

Raac, lighter and less durable than traditional concrete, was used until the mid-1990s but the Health and Safety Executive said it is now beyond its lifespan and may collapse with little or no warning.

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A Ministry of Justice spokesperson last month told the BBC that the closure was only temporary.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday (September 12), Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas asked justice minister Edward Argar how long it would take for the court to reopen.

Mr Thomas said: "If we want offenders to attend their sentencing, it does rather help if the court is open.

“Harrow Crown Court was closed two and a half weeks ago because of the discovery of crumbling concrete, Raac, with no indication as yet of any timescale for it to be reopened.

“Its closure will inevitably exacerbate the backlog of criminal cases in the London area and prevent victims of crim seeing justice.”

Responding, Mr Argar said that it was “right” for the Harrow MP to highlight the issues facing the court.

He added: “I understand that remedial work is under way and that cases listed there have been transferred to other London courts to ensure they still continue to be heard.

“I understand…that the indicative timescale to complete the works is six to nine months.”

After posting a clip of the exchange on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Thomas said that the long closure would lead to “yet more delays in victims seeing justice done”.