https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2026-10-19.HL4273.h
Ministry of Justice: Translation Services
Ministry of Justice written question – answered at on 2 November 2026.
To ask His Majesty's Government how much (1) the Ministry of Justice, and (2) HM Courts & Tribunals Service, spent on translation and interpretation services last year; and what plans they have, if any, to increase the use of AI in the provision of translation and interpretation services.
The requested information is provided below, in relation to contract spend only.
Lot 1 – Spoken Language
(1) Total contract spend for 2025: £30,127,536.45
(2) HMCTS contract spend for 2025: £28,036,414.07
T&T – Translation & Transcription
(1) Total contract spend for 2025: £2,988,335.45
(2) HMCTS contract spend for 2025: £139,916.83
The Ministry of Justice is exploring how artificial intelligence can support translation and interpretation services, including through work led by the Justice AI Unit. This includes AI-assisted interpretation for non-legal conversations in prisons and AI-assisted translation of publications, with human quality assurance of translated material. The Ministry of Justice’s new language services contracts, which came into effect on 5 October 2026, include clear contractual obligations for suppliers to engage in, monitor, and report on their use of AI and innovation, including impacts on interpreting availability and accuracy.
Any wider use would be informed by robust evaluation of the technology’s accuracy, consistency and suitability across different languages and settings, alongside consideration of data protection, security and appropriate human oversight. This evidence would inform decisions on whether, and in which circumstances, increased use is appropriate.
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