Government must halt re-tendering process for contract to provide interpreting and translation services to address significant issues

In September 2024, the Committee launched an inquiry into interpreting and translation services in courts. The inquiry remains ongoing, with a report expected to be published in the new year. However, the evidence heard and received by the Committee so far, has identified various areas of concern that it feels must be addressed as a matter of urgency before any new contract for the provision of these services is agreed.

The letter has asked the Government to set out how the following concerns will be addressed:

• Remuneration – We are concerned that low pay rates are driving interpreters out of the workforce and making it an unattractive career. There is a lack of transparency of pay across languages and geography. The current tender does not include a minimum pay rate for interpreters which may encourage companies to undercut each other during any subsequent bidding process. Remuneration of interpreters where work is cancelled, even at short notice, is also an issue not addressed in the new tender.
  
  
• Quality Assurance, performance data and transparency – There are concerns about the effectiveness of the quality assurance mechanisms for interpreting services in courts. The Government’s decision to not publish information on the number of times problems with interpreting services have been identified, their effect on cases, and the low levels of engagement with existing complaint mechanisms, means Parliament and the public cannot effectively judge how well interpreting services in the courts are run.
  
  
• Quality of interpreting in courts – The Committee is not confident that the new tender delivers a plan to ensure there is an appropriate number of skilled and qualified interpreters. Although new qualification requirements are set to be introduced, it believes that without such a plan, the introduction of new qualification requirements will instead lead to continued use of underqualified or off-contract interpreters.

Baroness Morris of Yardley, Chair of the Public Services Committee, said:

“Interpreting and translation services are vital in ensuring equal access to justice for all court users regardless of what language they speak.

“As the inquiry has progressed it’s clear there are significant issues that cannot be allowed to carry over into any new contract. This is why we have asked the Government to pause the current tendering process and set out how they will address the concerns we have raised in our letter, such as remuneration, the lack of data to ensure effective evaluation of services provided and the quality and qualification of interpreters and translators. There is nothing to be gained in continuing with this tender process without addressing the issues identified. Doing so would only result in locking in the existing problems for the extended period that any fresh contract will be in place.

“We urge the Government to follow our recommendation and look forward to hearing how they will address the significant issues we’ve highlighted.”