<p>HMCTS has appointed a consortium of IFF Research and Frontier Economics to carry out an independent evaluation of the Flexible Operating Hours pilots. The evaluation is being conducted as set out in the evaluation plan, published July 2019: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexible-operating-hours-evaluation-plan-and-summary" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexible-operating-hours-evaluation-plan-and-summary</a>. Data has been collected on the number of cases heard in Flexible Operating Hours sessions rather than on numbers of participants. Data on the number of legal professionals who participated in the pilots in Brentford and Manchester will be included in the independent evaluation report.</p>