24 May 2012
Solicitor-General
rejects call for inquiry into ALS
The Solicitor-General has rejected calls for an
investigation into a Saddleworth company which provides interpreting and translating
services for courts.
Last year Applied Language Solutions won a five-year
Government contract to provide translation and interpreting services for the
police and courts.
But the deal with the Ministry of Justice, which was
expected to save £18 million a year, has been criticised in the Commons by
Labour.
Analysis
During Commons questions to the Attorney General,
Labour’s Shadow Justice Minister Andy Slaughter said: “Reports from the media,
the courts and interpreters themselves show, contrary to his briefing, that
problems with Applied Language Solutions are getting worse not better.
“The Ministry of Justice is intending to publish its
analysis of their performance this week, based on data we understand collected
by ALS themselves.
“So will the Law Officers conduct their own
investigation of the collapse of interpreting and translating service in our
courts, one that will put the interests of justice before the self-serving interests
of the Ministry of Justice and its contractor.”
Solicitor General Edward Garnier refused to
investigate Delph-based ALS and said the contract was working well.
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