The Tribunals Service provides common administrative support to the main central government tribunals. Its launch in April 2006 was billed as "the biggest change to the tribunals system in this country in almost half a century".

The Tribunals Service (employment section) ("ETS") is part of the Tribunals Service. It provides administrative support to Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Its principal activities are:

• dealing with paperwork and correspondence relating to tribunal cases;
  
• making practical arrangements for all tribunal hearings, including supporting the judiciary in the listing of cases for hearing (which is a judicial responsibility);
  
• supporting tribunals during hearings; and
  
• providing information on tribunal procedures to the public.

Annual reports of the ETS are available on its website.

The ETS is, of course, quite separate from Tribunal members (ie the judiciary) who are completely independent.

See also Employment tribunals/annual report and/or Employment tribunals/constitution and history of and/or Employment tribunals/addresses, tel & fax nos and/or Acts of Parliament etc/Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 .