Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the role of intermediaries in the criminal justice system.

The Ministry of Justice completed a review of intermediary provision in 2023 which was summarised in the 2023 Witness Intermediary Scheme (WIS) Annual Report.

The review recommended actions to enhance the role, accessibility, and quality of intermediary services, including:

• Revising the definition of registered intermediaries and devising a communication plan to build better understanding of the intermediary role.

• Seeking improved data collection and analysis around intermediary usage; and

• Building relationships with stakeholders to ensure consistent quality of intermediary services across criminal, family and civil jurisdictions as well as continuing to increase understanding of vulnerable users’ needs.

We have no plans to conduct a further review at this stage, as we are progressing the above actions.