Written question asked by John Howell (Conservative) on Monday, 26 January 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 28 January 2009. It was answered by Maria Eagle (Labour) on Tuesday, 3 February 2009 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Witnesses

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what procedures govern the selection and termination of appointments of witness intermediaries.

Answer: Intermediaries come from a range of professional backgrounds including speech and language therapy, psychology, occupational therapy, education and other health care professions. To register as intermediaries they must undergo a rigorous assessment process overseen by the Intermediary Registration Board. They are also required to successfully complete an initial five day procedural training requirement introducing them to the criminal justice system before being placed on the register.There is a formal complaints process where the users of the service—the police, prosecutors and defence—can raise a specific complaint about individual intermediaries which is then subject to investigation by a member of the Quality Assurance Board for Intermediaries. The remedies available include the removal of the intermediary from the intermediary register.

Secondary information