PQ: 7 June 2023

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2023-06-07b.1415.0

Amendment 57B

Part of Illegal Migration Bill - Committee (3rd Day) – in the House of Lords at 6:45 pm on 7th June 2023.

Lord Berkeley of Knighton Crossbench 6:45pm, 7^th June 2023

My Lords, my point, which I hope is a helpful one, follows on from what the noble Baroness has said but also from what the Minister said about the need for interpreters; he was talking about Clause 55, but I can see the same thing happening here.

A few months ago in your Lordships’ House we discussed the whole nature of the qualification of interpreters. We came to a conclusion that, sadly, this was often wanting. Justice and democracy are served only if people who have to make a case for themselves are understood, and if they are talking to someone who can put their case cogently. My question to the Minister is: when he talks about interpreters, is he talking about people who will be adequately qualified?

"when the order was made there had not been a Mandarin present at that hearing"

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/23562200.hong-chi-44-appears-court-accused-modern-slavery-offence/

3^rd June 2023

[…] Chi is charged with a breach of a slavery and trafficking risk prevention order. 

The order was originally made at Worcester Magistrates Court on October 10, 2022.  

Magistrates heard there was a joint application by the prosecution and defence for an adjournment.

Gary Harper, defending, explained the defendant had told him that when the order was made there had not been a Mandarin interpreter present at that hearing, despite there being one at all other hearings.

The solicitor said, after his further investigation, the court records also showed this.

Mr Harper explained this may be a defence as someone could not comply with an order they did not know about it.

The solicitor said the prosecution also needed the adjournment to explore this further and see if the charge needed to be withdrawn. […]

 

Scotland: Use of interpreters described as "vague, haphazard and ambiguous"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-65780120

1^st June 2023

A Chinese man in Scotland's main immigration centre probably suffered at least two heart attacks in custody before he died, a sheriff has ruled.

[…] He criticised the medical treatment given to the detainee.

And he described the official approach to the use of interpreters as "vague, haphazard and ambiguous" for non-English speakers. […]

His language was recorded as Cantonese but he was a Taishanese speaker, with some understanding of Cantonese. It was also recorded that Mr Huang spoke Mandarin but this was not true.

The day before he died he spoke to nurses through an interpreter - a fellow Chinese detainee - who was not a Taishanese speaker.

He was prescribed Peptac, a peppermint-flavoured remedy for indigestion.

Sheriff Dunipace said this was probably a "cardiac event".

Mr Huang died the following day, having never been taken to hospital.

A post mortem examination discovered "significant" heart disease and that he had probably suffered a heart attack two weeks before his death and again the day before he died.

Dr Stephen Hearns, a consultant in emergency medicine, told the inquiry that, had Mr Huang been taken to hospital, the chances of him dying would have been "significantly reduced”. […]

Sheriff Dunipace made a series of recommendations including that record-keeping is improved, and about access to GPs and translation services when dealing with detainees who are unable to speak English. […]