Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy, what progress his Department has made towards the full rollout by HM Courts and Tribunals Service of a new national support service for users in England and Wales who need help to access online services.

HMCTS is putting in place the National Digital Support Service as help for public users who lack skills, access, motivation or trust to access and engage with our services online. We Are Digital (WAD) were awarded the new national service contract in October 2021, to deliver support across England, Wales (including support in Welsh) and Scotland (for tribunals only). WAD deliver positive and practical solutions to break down the barriers of digital exclusion. They will be able to provide users with face to face and remote appointments through their advanced network of delivery partners who have experience in supporting users of justice services, such as Law Centres and Citizens’ Advice.

A mobilisation period has now started. Within this time, HMCTS will be working with We Are Digital to design, test and implement the service. A test phase is due to go live on the 31st January with Social Security Child Support Appeals followed by the Single Justice Service in the West Midland Combined Authority before rolling out to full national and jurisdictional coverage of live reformed HMCTS services, which is expected late Spring 2022.