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This is a welcome recognition of the scale of the challenge for solicitors aspiring to judicial appointment.

The problem with getting more solicitors appointed has two parts. One part is undoubtedly an unwillingness for us to put ourselves forward (a facet of which is the unwillingness of many employers to support their solicitors who wish to apply). This is the part of the problem which typically gets all the air-time.

But the other part of the problem, invariably ignored, is the disproportionately high failure rate of the solicitors who do apply. The more senior the level of competition, the higher the rate of failure by solicitor applicants.

The Progress Report gives some comfort that this latter issue is being recognised. Let us hope that some solutions can be found.