Written questions by Yasin.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the decision to allocate £126 million to kinship care pilot schemes.

Kinship care plays a vital role in keeping children safe within their wider family networks, helping to provide stability and loving homes while reducing the need for statutory care.The department has launched the kinship allowance pilot in seven local authority areas, known as Kinship Zones, with £126 million of funding confirmed for the first two years. This level of funding reflects the investment required to test the provision of an allowance paid at the Fostering National Minimum Allowance rate and to support a robust evaluation at scale.The pilot areas were selected to reflect a mix of geographies and service models so that findings are informative nationally. Those local authorities that are not currently Kinship Zones either did not apply to participate or were unsuccessful.The pilot has been designed as a test‑and‑learn programme to understand what support works best for kinship families and to build strong evidence on impact, implementation and value for money of the pilot, including whether it improves outcomes for children, supports stable placements and reduces pressure on the care system and other public services. This will inform future policy decisions, including for areas outside the pilot such as Bedford. No decisions have been taken on national rollout.While the pilot is underway, all kinship carers can continue to access support through their local authority and department funded national provision, including advice, training and peer support. We encourage local authorities to review their local offer and learn from best practice across the country.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of current requirements for the provision of carbohydrate and nutritional information in restaurants and other out-of-home food settings for people living with Type 1 diabetes.

Legislation requiring large businesses in England, those with 250 or more employees, to display calorie information on non-prepacked food and soft drinks came into force in April 2022.The Department carefully considered the views of a wide range of experts in response to the public consultations on calorie labelling, including expert advice from organisations such as Diabetes UK. A careful balance needed to be struck between making calorie labels as accessible and informative as possible for consumers while not disproportionately impacting businesses. It was decided that large businesses, who are responsible for nearly half of all food and drink sales, would only be required to display calorie information. This ensures that the regulations deliver the projected health benefits while minimising the risk of disproportionately burdening smaller businesses who might find the new requirement more challenging to implement. It is at the discretion of an individual business if they choose to display additional nutritional information, such as carbohydrates, on their menus.We continue to evaluate the impact of the Out of Home Calorie Labelling Regulations and will publish a post-implementation review within five years of implementation which will consider the effectiveness and impact of the policy.

What steps he is taking to increase the speed at which compensation payments are issued by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to affected people.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority has paid over £2 billion in compensation payments. As of 1 October 2025, IBCA had asked every living infected person who is registered with a support scheme to come forward and start their claim. IBCA has now opened the service for the first claims from infected people who were never compensated, deceased infected people, and living affected people. This met the Government’s targets for compensation delivery in 2025.With each new cohort, IBCA are starting small, allowing them to learn what additions to the claim service are needed. This will allow them to open their service to more people as the service is built around specific needs. Whilst the roll out of the scheme is an operational decision for IBCA as an independent body, the Government fully supports its commitment to moving forward as swiftly as possible.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent passport requirement changes for dual nationals travelling to the UK on the level of (a) passport application (i) volumes and (ii) processing times and (b) the use of certificates of entitlement to the right of abode.

Information about passport application volumes and performance are published quarterly, and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/migration-transparency-data.There have been no changes to the published customer guidance for the expected timeframe to process passport applications.Quarterly data for the issuing of Certificates of Entitlement can be found in the detailed entry clearance visa dataset (Vis-D02) at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for Approved Driving Instructor Part 2 and Part 3 practical assessments; what the average waiting time is for these tests in all regions; how many examiners are (a) currently employed and (b) being recruited and trained to increase capacity; what her planned timeline is to reduce Part 2 and Part 3 waiting times to levels that help ensure trainee instructors can complete their qualifications within the two-year window; and what steps she is taking to (i) ensure increased access to assessment slots and (ii) prevent (A) the misuse of and (B) fraudulent bookings.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not hold data on the current waiting time for an approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 or part 3 test at any of its test centres. ADI examiners are a national team and are not assigned to specific test centres.There are currently 36 full time equivalent driving examiners employed by the DVSA who can conduct ADI part 2 and part 3 tests. DVSA has ongoing training and recruitment with its next training course starting in May for six new driving examiners, with two further courses planned later in the year.ADI examiner tests are not booked in the same process as driving tests have been previously. DVSA recommends potential driving instructors use the ‘book-to-hold’ service. By doing this they can advise DVSA when and where they would like to sit tests within their 2-year qualification period. This enables DVSA to deploy examiner resource accordingly. Therefore, test allocation is largely controlled within DVSA. On occasion, short notice cancellations would be open for candidates to book directly. Due to this, DVSA does not have high volumes of test swapping, misuse or fraudulent bookings.

What mechanisms are in place for housing providers to report the end of a tenancy where Universal Credit Housing Element is paid directly to landlords; and what steps his Department is taking to prevent and recover overpayments made in such circumstances.

Landlords can report changes of this nature through a range of routes, including by email and via the Department’s Employment and Partnership Manager network. However, Universal Credit is designed around the principle that claimants are responsible for reporting changes of circumstance. For that reason, while information from landlords can trigger checks and investigation, claimants are still required to make a declaration through “report a change”.

With reference to the protest-related provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, how the Government will ensure that these powers are not used in a way that suppresses legitimate dissent; and what independent oversight and accountability mechanisms will be put in place to prevent disproportionate or discriminatory application.

The right to peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy. It is a long‑standing tradition in the UK that people are free to gather and express their views, provided they do so within the law.The Government is taking the Crime and Policing Bill through Parliament to equip the police with targeted powers to manage evolving protest tactics while safeguarding the right to lawful protest. All protest legislation has been developed in line with the UK’s obligations under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The use of these powers and the management of demonstrations are operational matters for the police.The Government keeps all public order legislation under constant review and has also launched an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation, led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC. The review is underway and will report in spring 2026.

With reference to The Universal Credit (Earned Income) Amendment Regulations 2020, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of moving double-paydays to subsequent assessment periods on (a) working Universal Credit recipients and (b) resourcing within her Department; and what steps she is taking to reduce the impact on (i) claimants and (ii) resources.

The Department recognises that receiving two sets of earnings from the same employer within a single Universal Credit assessment period can create unexpected fluctuations in a claimant’s award. This situation typically occurs when a claimant’s monthly payday falls very close to the end of their assessment period, resulting in two wage payments being reported through HMRC’s Real Time Information (RTI) system in the same month. To address this, the Universal Credit (Earned Income) Amendment Regulations 2020 were introduced, allowing one set of monthly paid earnings to be reallocated to a different assessment period to ensure awards are calculated fairly. This rule only applies where earnings are paid calendar monthly.The Department’s assessment found that enabling the reallocation of earnings has a positive impact on working UC recipients. By smoothing income across assessment periods, the change reduces financial volatility for the relatively small number of households affected and helps maintain a regular payment cycle. Importantly, it also prevents claimants from losing their Work Allowance in months when double reporting would otherwise occur.Most cases affected by double earnings are now identified and corrected automatically, minimising any burden on customers and administrative pressure on the Department.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to implement the agreed conclusions of the most recent session of the Commission on the Status of Women in (a) UK domestic policy and (b) the UK’s foreign policy and development programmes.

There are well-established arrangements for ensuring that civil society organisations (CSOs) attending the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) can help shape the UK's overall approach, including an annual joint UK Government and CSO side event held in the margins of CSW. This year's event focused on accelerating progress on ending violence against women and girls (VAWG).The UK was proud to support the Agreed Conclusions on women and girls' access to justice. Domestically, we are committed to dismantling the barriers that prevent women from accessing justice and seeking and obtaining legal remedies. Internationally, we are committed to putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do, as reflected in our updated priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has been made of the merits of including representatives of civil society organisations in the UK delegation to the Commission on the Status of Women; and whether there are plans to change the current approach to delegation composition.

There are well-established arrangements for ensuring that civil society organisations (CSOs) attending the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) can help shape the UK's overall approach, including an annual joint UK Government and CSO side event held in the margins of CSW. This year's event focused on accelerating progress on ending violence against women and girls (VAWG).The UK was proud to support the Agreed Conclusions on women and girls' access to justice. Domestically, we are committed to dismantling the barriers that prevent women from accessing justice and seeking and obtaining legal remedies. Internationally, we are committed to putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do, as reflected in our updated priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Whether her Department is taking steps to promote the adoption of standards such as BS 25700 to support organisations in meeting their obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

This Government is clear that no company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain and encourages businesses to monitor their supply chains with rigour, to uncover and remedy any instances of modern slavery they may find.The Government published new transparency in supply chains statutory guidance in March 2025. This new guidance is more comprehensive, practical and ambitious – calling on businesses to go further and faster.The Home Office worked with a wide group of stakeholders from business, academia and civil society to ensure the guidance reflects current best practice and international standards, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Due Diligence Guidance.This will support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to modern slavery.The BSI standard on modern slavery (BSI25700) provides similar guidance to support businesses assess and monitor their supply chains. We encourage businesses to draw on all available guidance and standards to continue to improve their supply chain monitoring.

What guidance her Department has issued to further education providers on recognising participation in National Professional Qualification programmes as Continuing Professional Development; and whether staff are expected to undertake such training within paid working time.

National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are part of a wider evidence-based national continuing professional development offer available to teachers and leaders throughout their career. They are designed for different types of leaders, from those in, or preparing to take up, formal leadership roles such as head teachers, to those taking on leadership responsibilities beyond their classroom. This includes leaders in the further education (FE) sector.They are designed to be flexible and completed around existing commitments, with programme structure and delivery varying between providers.The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper committed to refocusing NPQs and associated funding to better support FE teachers and leaders, as part of establishing professional development pathways for FE staff.Updated guidance on how to apply for the courses will be available when registration opens for the next cohort.

What steps he is taking to help reduce levels of dependence on international fossil fuel markets.

Since coming to office this government has secured enough renewables in our two record breaking auctions to power the equivalent of 23 million homes and embarked on the biggest nuclear building programme in half a century. Only by going further and faster in building clean homegrown power can we reduce our level of dependence on fossil fuel markets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to address animal welfare concerns associated with the breeding of wildcat hybrids.

As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, which was published on 22 December 2025, the Government will take steps to improve our understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, drawing on expertise from the sector, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector. The keeping of dangerous wild animals is regulated by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. Keepers of dangerous wild animals listed in the Schedule to the 1976 Act must get a Dangerous Wild Animals licence from their local authority. All cats are listed in the Schedule to the Act, although several species, such as the domestic cat, are exempted. Cat hybrids having a domestic cat, or other exempted species, as one parent and a non-exempted cat, such as a wildcat, as the other parent would require a Dangerous Wild Animals licence.

When he plans to publish the response to the consultation on trade union right of access to workplaces.

Officials are in the process of reviewing the responses to the consultation, and the government will publish a formal response in due course.

Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to evaluate the potential impact of the proposed under-16 social media ban on young people’s access to support and educational resources.

The government recognises that there are benefits for children being online and for many young people, online services can play an important role in providing support and access to educational resources.On 2 March, the government launched a consultation on how to ensure children can grow up with a safer and more enriching relationship with the online world. The consultation seeks views on a range of options to help shape our next steps and the potential impacts of these.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support the mental health of young people reliant on online communities for emotional and social support.

The government recognises that for many young people, online communities can play an important role in providing emotional and social support. It is vital that these online spaces are safe. Through the Online Safety Act, in-scope services are required to protect children from illegal and harmful and age-inappropriate content.On 2 March, the government launched a consultation which will explore options to ensure children’s experiences online are safe and enriching.The Department of Health and Social Care is working to improve access to mental health support for young people, both online and offline.

How many and what proportion of vulnerable (a) victims and (b) witnesses assessed as requiring a registered intermediary under the Witness Intermediary Scheme were allocated one in each of the last three years; and how many requests were (i) refused and (ii) delayed due to availability constraints.

The table below sets out the proportion of requests for a registered intermediary that were successfully matched, as well as those that could not be matched, were cancelled by the police or CPS, or where matching was still in progress at the end of the calendar year. This is broken down for victims, prosecution witnesses and defence witnesses for the calendar years 2022-2024 (the most recent years for which published data is available through the Witness Intermediary Scheme annual report):YearAllocation statusDefence WitnessProsecution WitnessVictimTotal2022Matched3 (100%)733 (95.2%)7,018 (95.5%)7,754 (95.4%)Unmatched 16 (2%)179 (2.4%)195 (2.4%)Cancelled 21 (2.7%)151 (2.1%)172 (2.1%)In Progress 4 (0.1%)4 (0%)Total37707,3528,1252023Matched1 (100.0%)678 (94.4%)8,077 (94.8%)8,756 (94.8%)Unmatched 19 (2.6%)182 (2.1%)201 (2.2%)Cancelled 19 (2.6%)183 (2.1%)202 (2.2%)In Progress 2 (0.3%)79 (0.9%)81 (0.9%)Total17188,5219,2402024Matched4 (100.0%)554 (93.3%)8,789 (96.0%)9,347 (95.8%)Unmatched 10 (1.7%)130 (1.4%)140 (1.4%)Cancelled 20 (3.4%)164 (1.8%)184 (1.9%)In Progress 10 (1.7%)72 (0.8%)82 (0.8%)Total45949,1559,753Unmatched cases include those where:A Registered Intermediary (RI) could not be assigned to a case because the Witness Intermediary Team could not provide a RI within the timeframe specified by the end user,A RI initially accepted the case but then withdrew,the court agreed to adjourn a case and a new request reflecting the new trial date was generated.Therefore, not all unmatched requests indicate that the individual did not have a RI for their case.The National Crime Agency, who administer the Witness Intermediary Scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Justice does not collect waiting times between the making of a request for a Registered Intermediary, so no data is available on the number of cases that were delayed due to capacity constraints.The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the waiting time between the request for a registered intermediary and matching of the intermediary. The allocation of a Registered Intermediary in each case will be dependent on a number of requirements including the availability of the witness and the investigation officer as well the availability and skillset of the registered intermediary. Where a case is flagged as urgent, the National Crime Agency will endeavour to prioritise the case, including seeking registered intermediary support out of hours or at the weekend.The Ministry of Justice recruits and trains Registered Intermediaries on an ongoing basis to meet growing demand. These are informed by annual gap analyses to ascertain where demand is growing. In the 3 years to 2024, we have recruited 88 additional RIs to the Scheme.The table below sets out the rate at which requests for a Registered Intermediary (from both the police and CPS) in each police force area were matched in 2024. We do not hold data on waiting times for intermediaries. We also do not hold data broken down by Crown Court circuit.Police Force AreaCancelled MatchedUnmatchedTotalAvon & Somerset1 (0.6%)173 (97.7%)3.0 (1.7%)177Bedfordshire1 (1.5%)66 (97.1%)1.0 (1.5%)68Cambridgeshire2 (1.4%)139 (94.6%)6.0 (4.1%)147Cheshire5 (3.3%)145 (96.7%)0.0 (0%)150Cleveland6 (5.4%)102 (91.9%)3.0 (2.7%)111Cumbria2 (3.4%)56 (94.9%)1.0 (1.7%)59Derbyshire2 (0.7%)294 (98.0%)4.0 (1.3%)300Devon & Cornwall12 (2.5%)450 (95.3%)10.0 (2.1%)472Dorset1 (0.6%)171 (97.7%)3.0 (1.7%)175Durham5 (2.3%)213 (95.9%)4.0 (1.8%)222Dyfed-Powys1 (1.4%)69 (98.6%)0.0 (0%)70Essex5 (2.0%)234 (95.9%)5.0 (2.0%)244Gloucestershire3 (2.2%)129 (96.3%)2.0 (1.5%)134Greater Manchester6 (2.7%)214 (96.4%)2.0 (0.9%)222Gwent2 (1.3%)148 (95.5%)5.0 (3.2%)155Hampshire5 (1.5%)318 (96.7%)6.0 (1.8%)329Hertfordshire1 (1.5%)66 (97.1%)1.0 (1.5%)68Humberside3 (1.9%)152 (98.1%)0.0 (0%)155Kent7 (1.6%)421 (96.8%)7.0 (1.6%)435Lancashire0.0 (0%)251 (99.2%)2 (0.8%)253Leicestershire3 (2.1%)137 (95.1%)4.0 (2.8%)144Lincolnshire7 (4.1%)147 (86.5%)16.0 (9.4%)170London21 (2.6%)769 (95.4%)16.0 (2.0%)806Merseyside3 (1.1%)258 (97.7%)3.0 (1.1%)264Norfolk9 (6.5%)119 (86.2%)10.0 (7.2%)138North Wales4 (2.5%)154 (95.7%)3.0 (1.9%)161North Yorkshire4 (2.0%)193 (98.0%)0.0 (0%)197Northamptonshire4 (2.6%)149 (96.1%)2.0 (1.3%)155Northumbria10 (3.0%)321 (96.1%)3.0 (0.9%)334Nottinghamshire7 (2.9%)227 (94.6%)6.0 (2.5%)240South Wales2 (0.6%)306 (96.2%)10.0 (3.1%)318South Yorkshire3 (1.0%)303 (99.0%)0.0 (0%)306Staffordshire6 (1.8%)319 (97.0%)4.0 (1.2%)329Suffolk3 (2.4%)118 (95.9%)2.0 (1.6%)123Surrey2 (1.2%)155 (96.9%)3.0 (1.9%)160Sussex8 (3.1%)246 (96.1%)2.0 (0.8%)256Thames Valley5 (2.1%)234 (96.7%)3.0 (1.2%)242Warwickshire3 (3.9%)73 (96.1%)0.0 (0%)76West Mercia7 (2.3%)285 (95.6%)6.0 (2.0%)298West Midlands13 (2.1%)602 (96.8%)7.0 (1.1%)622West Yorkshire3 (0.8%)377 (98.7%)2.0 (0.5%)382Wiltshire1 (1.2%)83 (96.5%)2.0 (2.3%)86Total198 (2%)9,386 (96.2%)169 (1.7%)9,753

What the median waiting time was between a request for a registered intermediary and allocation in each of the last three years; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of these waiting times on the (a) wellbeing of victims and (b) the progress of their cases.

The table below sets out the proportion of requests for a registered intermediary that were successfully matched, as well as those that could not be matched, were cancelled by the police or CPS, or where matching was still in progress at the end of the calendar year. This is broken down for victims, prosecution witnesses and defence witnesses for the calendar years 2022-2024 (the most recent years for which published data is available through the Witness Intermediary Scheme annual report):YearAllocation statusDefence WitnessProsecution WitnessVictimTotal2022Matched3 (100%)733 (95.2%)7,018 (95.5%)7,754 (95.4%)Unmatched 16 (2%)179 (2.4%)195 (2.4%)Cancelled 21 (2.7%)151 (2.1%)172 (2.1%)In Progress 4 (0.1%)4 (0%)Total37707,3528,1252023Matched1 (100.0%)678 (94.4%)8,077 (94.8%)8,756 (94.8%)Unmatched 19 (2.6%)182 (2.1%)201 (2.2%)Cancelled 19 (2.6%)183 (2.1%)202 (2.2%)In Progress 2 (0.3%)79 (0.9%)81 (0.9%)Total17188,5219,2402024Matched4 (100.0%)554 (93.3%)8,789 (96.0%)9,347 (95.8%)Unmatched 10 (1.7%)130 (1.4%)140 (1.4%)Cancelled 20 (3.4%)164 (1.8%)184 (1.9%)In Progress 10 (1.7%)72 (0.8%)82 (0.8%)Total45949,1559,753Unmatched cases include those where:A Registered Intermediary (RI) could not be assigned to a case because the Witness Intermediary Team could not provide a RI within the timeframe specified by the end user,A RI initially accepted the case but then withdrew,the court agreed to adjourn a case and a new request reflecting the new trial date was generated.Therefore, not all unmatched requests indicate that the individual did not have a RI for their case.The National Crime Agency, who administer the Witness Intermediary Scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Justice does not collect waiting times between the making of a request for a Registered Intermediary, so no data is available on the number of cases that were delayed due to capacity constraints.The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the waiting time between the request for a registered intermediary and matching of the intermediary. The allocation of a Registered Intermediary in each case will be dependent on a number of requirements including the availability of the witness and the investigation officer as well the availability and skillset of the registered intermediary. Where a case is flagged as urgent, the National Crime Agency will endeavour to prioritise the case, including seeking registered intermediary support out of hours or at the weekend.The Ministry of Justice recruits and trains Registered Intermediaries on an ongoing basis to meet growing demand. These are informed by annual gap analyses to ascertain where demand is growing. In the 3 years to 2024, we have recruited 88 additional RIs to the Scheme.The table below sets out the rate at which requests for a Registered Intermediary (from both the police and CPS) in each police force area were matched in 2024. We do not hold data on waiting times for intermediaries. We also do not hold data broken down by Crown Court circuit.Police Force AreaCancelled MatchedUnmatchedTotalAvon & Somerset1 (0.6%)173 (97.7%)3.0 (1.7%)177Bedfordshire1 (1.5%)66 (97.1%)1.0 (1.5%)68Cambridgeshire2 (1.4%)139 (94.6%)6.0 (4.1%)147Cheshire5 (3.3%)145 (96.7%)0.0 (0%)150Cleveland6 (5.4%)102 (91.9%)3.0 (2.7%)111Cumbria2 (3.4%)56 (94.9%)1.0 (1.7%)59Derbyshire2 (0.7%)294 (98.0%)4.0 (1.3%)300Devon & Cornwall12 (2.5%)450 (95.3%)10.0 (2.1%)472Dorset1 (0.6%)171 (97.7%)3.0 (1.7%)175Durham5 (2.3%)213 (95.9%)4.0 (1.8%)222Dyfed-Powys1 (1.4%)69 (98.6%)0.0 (0%)70Essex5 (2.0%)234 (95.9%)5.0 (2.0%)244Gloucestershire3 (2.2%)129 (96.3%)2.0 (1.5%)134Greater Manchester6 (2.7%)214 (96.4%)2.0 (0.9%)222Gwent2 (1.3%)148 (95.5%)5.0 (3.2%)155Hampshire5 (1.5%)318 (96.7%)6.0 (1.8%)329Hertfordshire1 (1.5%)66 (97.1%)1.0 (1.5%)68Humberside3 (1.9%)152 (98.1%)0.0 (0%)155Kent7 (1.6%)421 (96.8%)7.0 (1.6%)435Lancashire0.0 (0%)251 (99.2%)2 (0.8%)253Leicestershire3 (2.1%)137 (95.1%)4.0 (2.8%)144Lincolnshire7 (4.1%)147 (86.5%)16.0 (9.4%)170London21 (2.6%)769 (95.4%)16.0 (2.0%)806Merseyside3 (1.1%)258 (97.7%)3.0 (1.1%)264Norfolk9 (6.5%)119 (86.2%)10.0 (7.2%)138North Wales4 (2.5%)154 (95.7%)3.0 (1.9%)161North Yorkshire4 (2.0%)193 (98.0%)0.0 (0%)197Northamptonshire4 (2.6%)149 (96.1%)2.0 (1.3%)155Northumbria10 (3.0%)321 (96.1%)3.0 (0.9%)334Nottinghamshire7 (2.9%)227 (94.6%)6.0 (2.5%)240South Wales2 (0.6%)306 (96.2%)10.0 (3.1%)318South Yorkshire3 (1.0%)303 (99.0%)0.0 (0%)306Staffordshire6 (1.8%)319 (97.0%)4.0 (1.2%)329Suffolk3 (2.4%)118 (95.9%)2.0 (1.6%)123Surrey2 (1.2%)155 (96.9%)3.0 (1.9%)160Sussex8 (3.1%)246 (96.1%)2.0 (0.8%)256Thames Valley5 (2.1%)234 (96.7%)3.0 (1.2%)242Warwickshire3 (3.9%)73 (96.1%)0.0 (0%)76West Mercia7 (2.3%)285 (95.6%)6.0 (2.0%)298West Midlands13 (2.1%)602 (96.8%)7.0 (1.1%)622West Yorkshire3 (0.8%)377 (98.7%)2.0 (0.5%)382Wiltshire1 (1.2%)83 (96.5%)2.0 (2.3%)86Total198 (2%)9,386 (96.2%)169 (1.7%)9,753

What the registered intermediary allocation (a) rates and (b) waiting times are in each (i) police force area and (ii) Crown Court circuits; and what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that all vulnerable victims have access to intermediaries.

The table below sets out the proportion of requests for a registered intermediary that were successfully matched, as well as those that could not be matched, were cancelled by the police or CPS, or where matching was still in progress at the end of the calendar year. This is broken down for victims, prosecution witnesses and defence witnesses for the calendar years 2022-2024 (the most recent years for which published data is available through the Witness Intermediary Scheme annual report):YearAllocation statusDefence WitnessProsecution WitnessVictimTotal2022Matched3 (100%)733 (95.2%)7,018 (95.5%)7,754 (95.4%)Unmatched 16 (2%)179 (2.4%)195 (2.4%)Cancelled 21 (2.7%)151 (2.1%)172 (2.1%)In Progress 4 (0.1%)4 (0%)Total37707,3528,1252023Matched1 (100.0%)678 (94.4%)8,077 (94.8%)8,756 (94.8%)Unmatched 19 (2.6%)182 (2.1%)201 (2.2%)Cancelled 19 (2.6%)183 (2.1%)202 (2.2%)In Progress 2 (0.3%)79 (0.9%)81 (0.9%)Total17188,5219,2402024Matched4 (100.0%)554 (93.3%)8,789 (96.0%)9,347 (95.8%)Unmatched 10 (1.7%)130 (1.4%)140 (1.4%)Cancelled 20 (3.4%)164 (1.8%)184 (1.9%)In Progress 10 (1.7%)72 (0.8%)82 (0.8%)Total45949,1559,753Unmatched cases include those where:A Registered Intermediary (RI) could not be assigned to a case because the Witness Intermediary Team could not provide a RI within the timeframe specified by the end user,A RI initially accepted the case but then withdrew,the court agreed to adjourn a case and a new request reflecting the new trial date was generated.Therefore, not all unmatched requests indicate that the individual did not have a RI for their case.The National Crime Agency, who administer the Witness Intermediary Scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Justice does not collect waiting times between the making of a request for a Registered Intermediary, so no data is available on the number of cases that were delayed due to capacity constraints.The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the waiting time between the request for a registered intermediary and matching of the intermediary. The allocation of a Registered Intermediary in each case will be dependent on a number of requirements including the availability of the witness and the investigation officer as well the availability and skillset of the registered intermediary. Where a case is flagged as urgent, the National Crime Agency will endeavour to prioritise the case, including seeking registered intermediary support out of hours or at the weekend.The Ministry of Justice recruits and trains Registered Intermediaries on an ongoing basis to meet growing demand. These are informed by annual gap analyses to ascertain where demand is growing. In the 3 years to 2024, we have recruited 88 additional RIs to the Scheme.The table below sets out the rate at which requests for a Registered Intermediary (from both the police and CPS) in each police force area were matched in 2024. We do not hold data on waiting times for intermediaries. We also do not hold data broken down by Crown Court circuit.Police Force AreaCancelled MatchedUnmatchedTotalAvon & Somerset1 (0.6%)173 (97.7%)3.0 (1.7%)177Bedfordshire1 (1.5%)66 (97.1%)1.0 (1.5%)68Cambridgeshire2 (1.4%)139 (94.6%)6.0 (4.1%)147Cheshire5 (3.3%)145 (96.7%)0.0 (0%)150Cleveland6 (5.4%)102 (91.9%)3.0 (2.7%)111Cumbria2 (3.4%)56 (94.9%)1.0 (1.7%)59Derbyshire2 (0.7%)294 (98.0%)4.0 (1.3%)300Devon & Cornwall12 (2.5%)450 (95.3%)10.0 (2.1%)472Dorset1 (0.6%)171 (97.7%)3.0 (1.7%)175Durham5 (2.3%)213 (95.9%)4.0 (1.8%)222Dyfed-Powys1 (1.4%)69 (98.6%)0.0 (0%)70Essex5 (2.0%)234 (95.9%)5.0 (2.0%)244Gloucestershire3 (2.2%)129 (96.3%)2.0 (1.5%)134Greater Manchester6 (2.7%)214 (96.4%)2.0 (0.9%)222Gwent2 (1.3%)148 (95.5%)5.0 (3.2%)155Hampshire5 (1.5%)318 (96.7%)6.0 (1.8%)329Hertfordshire1 (1.5%)66 (97.1%)1.0 (1.5%)68Humberside3 (1.9%)152 (98.1%)0.0 (0%)155Kent7 (1.6%)421 (96.8%)7.0 (1.6%)435Lancashire0.0 (0%)251 (99.2%)2 (0.8%)253Leicestershire3 (2.1%)137 (95.1%)4.0 (2.8%)144Lincolnshire7 (4.1%)147 (86.5%)16.0 (9.4%)170London21 (2.6%)769 (95.4%)16.0 (2.0%)806Merseyside3 (1.1%)258 (97.7%)3.0 (1.1%)264Norfolk9 (6.5%)119 (86.2%)10.0 (7.2%)138North Wales4 (2.5%)154 (95.7%)3.0 (1.9%)161North Yorkshire4 (2.0%)193 (98.0%)0.0 (0%)197Northamptonshire4 (2.6%)149 (96.1%)2.0 (1.3%)155Northumbria10 (3.0%)321 (96.1%)3.0 (0.9%)334Nottinghamshire7 (2.9%)227 (94.6%)6.0 (2.5%)240South Wales2 (0.6%)306 (96.2%)10.0 (3.1%)318South Yorkshire3 (1.0%)303 (99.0%)0.0 (0%)306Staffordshire6 (1.8%)319 (97.0%)4.0 (1.2%)329Suffolk3 (2.4%)118 (95.9%)2.0 (1.6%)123Surrey2 (1.2%)155 (96.9%)3.0 (1.9%)160Sussex8 (3.1%)246 (96.1%)2.0 (0.8%)256Thames Valley5 (2.1%)234 (96.7%)3.0 (1.2%)242Warwickshire3 (3.9%)73 (96.1%)0.0 (0%)76West Mercia7 (2.3%)285 (95.6%)6.0 (2.0%)298West Midlands13 (2.1%)602 (96.8%)7.0 (1.1%)622West Yorkshire3 (0.8%)377 (98.7%)2.0 (0.5%)382Wiltshire1 (1.2%)83 (96.5%)2.0 (2.3%)86Total198 (2%)9,386 (96.2%)169 (1.7%)9,753