Watch the debate here: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/ebf91b44-80db-451a-a8e4-42230b034c71
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2025-08-29.73394.h
Ministry of Justice written question – answered at on 8 September 2025.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of conducting a review of language professionals’ (a) minimum pay rates, (b) cancellation fees and (c) working conditions on the long-term (i) procurement and (ii) retention of public service interpreters.
The Ministry of Justice has undertaken a review of interpreter remuneration and conditions as part of the current procurement exercise for the interpreting service. This included a Delivery Model Assessment and extensive market engagement. The House of Lords Public Services Committee (PSC) also conducted an inquiry into the interpreting service in courts and published their subsequent report in March 2025.
The Ministry of Justice has drawn on the valuable learning and insights from these reviews which informed the Department’s response to the House of Lords PSC report. The response, which covers the topics raised in more detail, can be accessed via this link: committees.parliament.uk/publications/48172/documents/252233/default/ .
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2025-08-29.73397.h
Ministry of Justice written question – answered at on 5 September 2025.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of introducing an independent regulator to oversee the commercial agencies it appoints for the provision of interpreting and translation services.
The Ministry of Justice does not require the introduction of an independent regulator due to the existing, robust assurance procedures in place.
All interpreters under the Ministry of Justice contracts are subject to a quality assurance regime, which is independent of the suppliers that provide our interpreters. The Department has a dedicated Commercial and Contract Management team that oversees the quality assurance provider and the suppliers of interpreters. Their work includes conducting audits to ensure that data is reliable and reviewing quality and complaints data to ensure that the service is delivering for the taxpayer.
Performance data for the language interpreter and translation services is published on the GOV.UK website.
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2025-08-29.73395.h
Ministry of Justice written question – answered at on 5 September 2025.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has set a deadline for introducing a comprehensive remuneration and conditions framework set for implementation from October 2026 for public service interpreters.
The Ministry of Justice has provided a comprehensive response to the Public Services Committee inquiry and report into interpreter and translation services in the courts, published in June 2025, which covers this topic.
The Ministry of Justice is procuring new interpreter contracts to commence in October 2026, which include improvements to the service, interpreter remuneration, and conditions.
The Department considered mandating payment rates for interpreters during market engagement but concluded that suppliers (as experts in the market) are best placed to set payment rates. The Ministry of Justice’s role, as the commissioning body, is to ensure that these rates are fair and deliver value for money to the taxpayer.
The Ministry of Justice has already taken steps to improve interpreter remuneration, such as increasing the minimum face to face booking duration to two hours in October 2024, which has led to improved contract fulfilment rates and a reduction in off contract requests.
From October 2026, the new contracts will introduce improvements to interpreter remuneration and conditions. This includes:
Strengthening safeguarding provisions to support interpreter wellbeing
Changing the cancellation cut-off time meaning more cancellations will fall into the ‘short notice’ category and attract a fee payable to interpreters
Maintaining the two-hour minimum booking duration
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2025-08-29.73389.h
Ministry of Justice written question – answered at on 5 September 2025.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the recruitment and retention of sufficient numbers of interpreters with a Level 6 Diploma in Public Service Interpreting by October 2026.
The Ministry of Justice is committed to maintaining both the quality and capacity of the future supply chain of qualified court interpreters.
The Department and its suppliers regularly review fulfilment data to inform and adapt recruitment strategies, and our suppliers ensure that there are, and will be, sufficient interpreters with the required qualifications to meet our demand. The new contracts will improve this further by including steps to support interpreters in attaining Level 6 Diploma in Public Service Interpreting, through expanding the Trainee Scheme managed by the quality and assurance provider and providing more support for qualification costs.
