Translation Services

Justice written question – answered at on 7 March 2012.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Andrew Slaughter Andrew Slaughter Shadow Minister (Justice)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints his Department has received regarding Applied Language Solutions (ALS) in the last year; and if he will calculate the number of complaints that concerned (a) poor or substandard interpreters, (b) ALS failing to provide interpreters and (c) interpreters being placed on ALS list of interpreters without the consent of the interpreters concerned.

Photo of Crispin Blunt Crispin Blunt Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice) (Prisons and Probation)

The contract for ALS to begin supplying language services to the Ministry of Justice commenced on 12 December 2011 for the criminal courts in the north-west and was fully implemented on 30 January 2012. Prior to the contracts implementation, the Department received a number of representations from interpreters opposed to our plans to contract for interpreting services, these included some complaints about Applied Language Solutions. Interpreters, who have not signed up to work with ALS, continue to raise their concerns about the contract with us.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes0 people think so

No15 people think not

Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.