Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many registered intermediaries there (a) are and (b) are estimated to be in the next 12 months.

There are currently 185 Registered Intermediaries on the Witness Intermediary Scheme register, with an additional 30 candidates either in training or awaiting training. There have been ongoing regional recruitment campaigns since December 2017 and these will continue over the course of the next 12 months. It is not possible to provide an estimate of the expected number of RIs in 12 months’ time, as this will be affected by how many new recruits join the scheme, as well as how many existing Registered Intermediaries decide to retire or otherwise leave the scheme.