PQs: 25 October 2023

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2023-10-18.203198.h

NHS: Interpreters

Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered on 25 October 2023.

Steve McCabe Labour, Birmingham, Selly Oak

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of unregistered interpreters in the NHS on maternity outcomes.

Maria Caulfield The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

It is the responsibility of trusts to provide services that meet the needs of their local populations, paying particular attention to health inequalities. This includes ensuring access to interpreter services as set out in the three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services. NHS England commissions the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme to undertake reviews of adverse outcomes in maternity and neonatal services. These reviews consider whether interpreting services may have had an impact upon outcome.

 

 

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2023-10-18.203197.h

NHS: Interpreters

Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered on 25 October 2023.

Steve McCabe Labour, Birmingham, Selly Oak

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the prevalence of the use of unregistered interpreters in the NHS.

Steve McCabe Labour, Birmingham, Selly Oak

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department issues guidance to NHS trusts on the qualifications required for interpreters working in the NHS.

Steve McCabe Labour, Birmingham, Selly Oak

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help ensure that interpreters used by the NHS are on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters.

Neil O'Brien The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care

We have not made a specific assessment as the Department does not make policy in relation to interpretation services in the National Health Service. This also includes issuing guidance to NHS trusts on the qualifications required for interpreters and their registration on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters.

The Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Team in NHS England is completing a scoping and options review of the most effective and appropriate national interventions to facilitate improvements in community language translation and interpretation services to meet the needs of communities and support equitable access, experience and outcomes for all. NHS England aims to agree recommendations in March 2024.

PQs: 24 October 2023

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2023-10-16.202832.h

Prisons: Translation Services

Ministry of Justice written question – answered on 24 October 2023.

Sharon Hodgson Chair, Finance Committee (Commons), Chair, Finance Committee (Commons)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many translators work in prisons.

Damian Hinds The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice

There are no translators employed in prisons on a permanent basis. The Ministry of Justice Language Service Contract provides face-to-face and telephone interpretation services for prisons, on a case-by-case basis, on request.

 

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2023-10-16.202846.h

Prisons: Translation Services

Ministry of Justice written question – answered on 24 October 2023.

Justin Madders Shadow Minister (Future of Work), Shadow Minister (Employment Rights and Protections)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many translators work at HMP (a) Huntercombe, (b) Maidstone and (c) Morton Hall as of 16 October 2023; and what languages those translators speak.

Damian Hinds The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice

There are no translators employed in prisons on a permanent basis. The Ministry of Justice Language Service Contract provides face-to-face and telephone interpretation services for prisons, on a case-by-case basis, on request.

Laughter in Craigavon court as interpreter refers to district judge as 'Your Majesty'

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/laughter-craigavon-court-interpreter-refers-090018071.html

23 October 2023

Laughter in Craigavon court as interpreter refers to district judge as 'Your Majesty'

[…] The District Judge Bernie Kelly asked the interpreter, who was appearing via video link, to ask the defendant if they could hear each other. The interpreter said, in English: “Hi can you hear me?” To which the defendant replied, in English, ‘yes’.

The district judge said to the interpreter: “I am missing something here. I understood you were asked to come here today to interpret in an language other than English because the defendant doesn’t speak English. Could you ask him in his native language whether he can hear you and confirm to me what he has replied to you in his native language.”

The interpreter spoke to the defendant and responded to the district judge: “Yes your honour, he said that he could hear me.”

District Judge Kelly asked him if he was happy enough that the defendant understood the language he was using to interpret. After speaking to the defendant in his native tongue, the interpreter said it was OK.

The charges were read to the defendant in English but there was confusion over translating those charges to the defendant. With the district judge clearly infuriated, the interpreter said he was currently ‘having a chat’ with the defendant ‘to know exactly what happened’. The district judge said: “You do not have to have a chat with Christy right now to know what happened. All we need to know is that he understands the charges that he faces. My clerk is patiently reading these charges in English and we are patiently asking you to translate them into whatever language it is that Mr Christy is conversant in. That’s all we are asking you to do. Do not chat with Mr Christy. Kindly just read the charges.”

After some toing and froing, the district judge asked the prosecutor to connect the defendant to the charges he faces. On questioning by the prosecutor, a PSNI constable said she could connect the accused to the charges.

Defence barrister David McKeown asked if the interpreter could explain that there will be no bail application as there is no available address which the interpreter did.

The defendant spoke to the interpreter who said: “Your Honour he would like to explain something to you Your Majesty.” The court erupted in laughter.

The interpreter said: “Your Honour, he says that he has not done such mistakes and he is not knowing what happened exactly.”

DA languages claim

https://www.leighday.co.uk/our-services/group-claims/da-languages-claim/

22 October 2023

DA languages claim

Leigh Day is acting for DA Languages interpreters and translators who we believe may be entitled to thousands of pounds in compensation.

We believe that DA Languages interpreters and translators should be classed as workers, rather than self-employed independent contractors, and will fight your corner throughout the legal battle to help make this a reality.

DA Languages interpreters and translators currently work under contracts which seek to classify them as self-employed independent contractors. We are arguing that due to the way in which these translators and interpreters work in practice, they should be classed as workers, rather than self-employed independent contractors.

There are several ways in which DA Languages controls the work done by their interpreters and translators, including:

• Requiring them to perform work under the Professional Supplier Agreement (or ‘contract’) personally.
• Fixing the rate of pay interpreters and translators receive for providing services in person, over the telephone and by video.
• Imposing fines in circumstances where are unable to attend or complete jobs.
• Assigning interpreters and translators an ID card.

Workers are entitled to certain rights and protections, including holiday pay and the National Minimum Wage. If we are successful, we will claim compensation for backdated holiday pay and shortfalls to the National Minimum Wage.