PQ: 30 November 2022

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2022-11-17.HL3517.h

Asylum: Translation Services

Home Office written question – answered on 30th November 2022.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno Liberal Democrat

To ask His Majesty's Government what translation facilities are available at asylum interviews.

Lord Murray of Blidworth The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department

The Home Office will provide an interpreter at public expense whenever necessary. Interpreters are required to interpret to a high standard on a range of protection based and human rights topics including, though not limited to, religious conversion, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), sexuality-and gender-based claims, all types and forms of persecution, medical (physical and mental health) and political activity.

 

PQ: 29 November 2022

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2022-11-21.92178.h

Asylum: Interpreters

Home Office written question – answered on 29th November 2022.

Caroline Nokes Chair, Women and Equalities Committee, Chair, Women and Equalities Committee

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints her Department has received in each of the last five years on (a) prejudiced and (b) discriminatory attitudes of contracted language interpreters towards asylum claimants during asylum interviews; and of those complaints how many have resulted in (i) written warnings, (ii) suspensions of and (iii) the removal of interpreters from her Department’s approved list.

Robert Jenrick The Minister for Immigration

The Home Office is unable to provide the data requested because this information is not held in a reportable format, not routinely published and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Council officers had to resort to Google Translate to communicate with Ukrainian refugees

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/ukraine-refugees-north-tyneside-translate-25586161

Council officers had to resort to Google Translate to communicate with Ukrainian refugees

25^th November 2022

North Tyneside Council officers had to resort to Google Translate to communicate with Ukrainian refugees as they arrived.

The local authority saw a peak in April and May of Ukrainian refugees arriving, fleeing the ongoing Russian invasion. Councillors quizzed officers on how they found communication with the newly arrived Ukrainians and what challenges this had presented.

Ian Rice, the authority's welfare and tenancy support manager, said: "We do throughout the authority have access to interpreters and translation services. What we very quickly found was that whilst we do have access to those facilities, the numbers, particularly in April and May time, were just not enough.

"So, we used Google Translate."

Council staff also used a translating service on Microsoft Word to email and correspond with Ukrainian guests. It was acknowledged by officers this service "might not always be perfect".

However, officers claimed no guests had yet complained and it has helped open up dialogues. The officers present did also stipulate that professional translation services were sought for more complex circumstances.

In addition, several refugees had also stepped forward to help officers as interpreters.

"We have had a couple of our Ukrainian guests help us out and volunteer to translate, and a number of our guests who are school teachers have helped. Sometimes, however, it is not appropriate to have a guest in to translate.

"We are using everything we possibly can to help and support them and quite a number of them speak quite good English. The Government and the Red Cross have also provided us with translated materials in both Russian and Ukrainian."

PQ: 23 November 2022

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2022-11-14.HL3342.h

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Interpreters

Ministry of Justice written question – answered on 23rd November 2022.

Baroness Coussins Crossbench

To ask His Majesty's Government when the invitation to tender for the new contract for provision of court and tribunal spoken word interpreters will be issued.

Lord Bellamy The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice

The Ministry of Justice has been assessing options for tendering the new contract for provision of spoken word interpreters. Our plans remain commercial in confidence at this time. Information will be published to the market in due course.

PQ: 21 November 2022

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2022-11-14.HL3341.h

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Interpreters

Ministry of Justice written question – answered on 21st November 2022.

Baroness Coussins Crossbench

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the full independent review of qualifications and standards for court and tribunal spoken word interpreters, announced by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar on 12 January (HL Deb, col 1151), has been completed; and if so, when it will be published.

Lord Bellamy The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice

This review is ongoing alongside a wider and comprehensive review of language service requirements which is currently being undertaken within my Department. We will, of course, publish the outcome of that review once it is complete.

Ireland: Interpreters and Translators cost HSE €3.5m last year

https://www.newstalk.com/news/interpreters-and-translators-cost-hse-e3-5m-last-year-1403296

18 November 2022

Interpreters and Translators cost HSE €3.5m last year

The HSE has spent more than €7m on interpreters and translators over the last two and a half years.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show €3.4m was spent last year alone.

Meanwhile, translation and interpretation services cost the HSE €1.6 million in the first six months of this year.

The Irish Translators and Interpreters Association Chair Dr Mary Phelan told Newstalk doctors need access to quality translators.

“There are lots of languages, lots of people, where there is just no access to interpreters,” she said.

“GPs are trying to manage by using family members of patients, friends of patients, children, neighbours, whoever, as interpreters – or using sign language or using Google Translate which isn’t particularly accurate.”

Dr Phelan said doctors need interpreters to get an accurate medical history from patients.

She warned that there are currently no standards in place for interpreters working in the health service – and called for stricter regulation of the market.

“The interpreters working in the Irish market are, in the main, untrained,” she said.

“Some may have some training from their home country but most are untrained. There is not regulation at the moment of translation and interpreting.

“Everybody else working in the health services and elsewhere you know, had a qualification, they have to meet certain requirements.”

Awaab Ishak death: the coroner’s verdict

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/awaab-ishak-death-the-coroners-verdict-in-full-79122

16.11.22

Awaab Ishak death: the coroner’s verdict

[…]

Awaab was the first child of Faisal Abdullah and Aisha Amin. Mr Abdullah had come to live in the UK in 2016 from the Sudan. He was joined in 2017 by his wife. Whilst Mr Abdullah has some understanding and ability to converse in English, his wife has very little. This is important when considering the ability of professionals to engage in discussions with the family and when considering the ability of the family to explain any worries or concerns they had and to understand advice.

[…]

Mr Abdullah told the court that in 2017 he had noticed mould developing in the property and had advised RBH of the same. He explained he was told to paint over the mould. I heard that Mr Abdullah painted over the mould and that he did this on more than one occasion. On balance I find as a matter of fact this was the advice given to Mr Abdullah when he reported his concern. On balance I also consider it is more likely than not that Mr Abdullah would not have fully understood to treat the mould with anti-mould treatment / paint.

[…]

On 20 November 2020 Mr Foster, a technical inspector at RBH, told the court he attended 196 Ilminster due to concerns there may be a leak from 196 into a property below. He told the court that Ms Amin was present in the property but he acknowledged he did not have access to an interpreter. He recalled she was quite upset as she showed him around the property.

[…]

He was transferred to Royal Oldham Hospital for observations. This attendance was during the pandemic when only one parent could be present. English was not the first language for Awaab’s mother who was present.

[…]

Awaab was discharged on 20 December 2020. Clear instructions using an appropriate translator should have been provided to the family. It should have been communicated to them that should Awaab have any further breathing difficulties then they must call an ambulance or present directly to the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Capita offloads Translation and Interpreting business

https://www.techmarketview.com/ukhotviews/archive/2022/11/11/capita-offloads-translation-and-interpreting-business

11^th November 2022

Capita continues with its programme of divestment agreeing to sell its Translation and Interpreting business (CTI) to California-headquartered interpretation and document translation provider LanguageLine for undisclosed sum.

Capita acquired CTI (then an SME known as Applied Language Solutions) back in 2012 primarily for an existing framework agreement with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), to provide the MoJ, HM Courts and Tribunal Service, Crown Prosecution Service, HM Prison Service and police forces across England and Wales, with interpreting and translation services. The relationship got off to a rocky start with the contract proving to be controversial one. Things subsequently settled down, but the services have always been on the periphery of Capita’s core BPS proposition. The senior management team and employees of CTI will remain with the business as it transfers to LanguageLine. […]

 

"several attempts were made to have the case heard"

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23111127.albanian-cannabis-farmer-found-rose-hill-paying-off-11k-debt/

9th November 2022

[…] The court heard that several aborted attempts were made to have the case heard at the lower court following his arrest and remand into custody.

There were a total of four appearances at the magistrates’ court ‘before Mr Halilaj and an Albanian interpreter were in the building at the same time’, Ms French said. […]