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You sent on the revised template letter that will allow appellants to request their choice of hearing. If the appellant does not use the template letter and requests a type of hearing via email or telephone, will that be accepted?

If the appellant does not use the template letter but requests a type of hearing by sending in a request via their own letter, an email or a telephone call, will that be accepted?

Good morning. As the convener said, I will cover appeal hearings, so I will direct my questions to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. From the figures that you have provided, in-person hearings are either non-existent or minuscule. I note figures of 0 per cent in 2022-23 and 1 per cent in 2023-24. Why is that the case?

Your figures suggest that more people were seen in person during Covid than are being seen in person now, but I will take that answer.

The committee has heard concerns that it is more difficult for the tribunal to assess appellants’ needs over the telephone compared with seeing them in person, given the nature of what they are dealing with. What are your views on that?

That is good to hear, too.

Does the tribunal service expect that the change in approach will lead to an increase in face-to-face hearings? If so, what preparations are being made to accommodate that? You covered that earlier, but could you expand on that?

You said that, in the light of the feedback, you will accommodate an appellant’s preference whenever possible. What do you mean by that?

If a representative is mandated to act on behalf of an appellant and sends in their request on their own template letter—as was mentioned in an evidence session—or by email or phone, will that be accepted as a notification of the type of hearing that the client wants?

It is really important that organisations work to get the best experience for the client. Thank you.

Rebecca Hoffman, how involved has your organisation been in facilitating questions and conversations between the Scottish Government and those with lived and living experience of suicide in order to develop the strategy?

I am asking about lived experience.