Courtroom interpreter 'savings' evaporate
The Ministry of Justice has admitted that £12m of savings predicted for the first year of controversial new arrangements for courtroom interpreting ‘will probably not be achieved’.
The announcement, by justice minister Lord McNally, came as the ministry declined to reveal the cost of the contract with Applied Language Solutions. In response to a freedom of information request made by the Gazette for the cost of the contract’s first three months, from February this year, the MoJ said it held the information but providing it would be too costly.
Problems with the new interpreting hub were revealed by the Gazette on 9 February.
McNally told peers last week that the contract had a ‘very poor start’, but said there had been ‘improvements’ and that the government will ensure a high-quality service. Responding to a question from Labour peer Lord Harrison, McNally accepted that ‘the original estimate of a £12m saving in the first year will probably not be achieved’, but he said ‘this is not a solution for just one year. It is a long-term solution that we hope will, once it is bedded down, give the service and quality required.’
Crossbencher Lady Coussins, vice-president of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, expressed concern that data on contract performance was provided by the contractor ‘without any independent verification or audit’ and tells a ‘very different story from the complaints we hear daily from judges’.
McNally replied: ‘There is not an independent monitoring system - there is a client. We are the client, and we do not intend to pay good money for a shoddy service.’
He dismissed Coussins’ fear that poor performance could put the government in danger of legal action for non-compliance with a European directive on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings, due to be implemented in October 2013.
Applied Language Solutions declined to comment, referring enquiries to the MoJ.
Comments
MoJ savings on interpreter work for the MoJ
The original aim was £18 million. The statement by Lord McNally follows the hallowed traditions of most governments: manage expectations and being economical with the truth.
HMG should not be allowed to get away with this lower figure.
Interpreter organisations have a dossier of failures, cancellations, no shows etc by Capita/ ALS, the contractor that substantiate the earlier estimates we also informed the MoJ of making it clear that the overspend would be enormous, well in excess of the original 18 million.
We have offered talks, pointed out that through consultation and active police management savings in excess of 40% year on year had been secured by Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Welsh Constabularies (through WITS). The Met has also refused to go along with the Framework Agreement we reject. The MoJ has yet to reply well into the 6th month of the debacle we predicted.
Prof. G. A. Makin
Chairman
Society for Public Service Interpreting (SPSI) Ltd.
"In response to a freedom of
"In response to a freedom of information request made by the Gazette for the cost of the contract’s first three months, from February this year, the MoJ said it held the information but providing it would be too costly."
Dear Law Gazette, can you press on it? It is incredible that the government does not know how much it spends. Have you considered appealing this decision? MoJ must know how much money they have paid to ALS and at least this figure should be released with a caveat that MoJ is still paying for interpreting/translation services to other providers.
ALS
I represented a client today who had been held in custody for shoplifting since Friday morning as ALS could not provide a Lithuanian interpreter. In desparation, the court phoned a local interpreter that they knew at 1.30pm who refuses to work for ALS. She arrived by 3pm and the case was concluded by 3.15pm. The current situation is a farce. How can keeping my client in custody for over three days be saving the taxpayer money? This is not an isolated incident. It occurs every day. Answer that MOJ.
Justice Select Committee: submission of evidence
Mr Ben Hall and any other interested party who wishes to make any submissions on the Framework Agreement and contract with Applied language Solutions/Capita may send them by email to; to justicecommemo@parliament.uk
Interestingly, neither ALS nor Capita is any longer making any attempt to defend the Framework Agreement. The Ministry of justice remains tightlipped, watching vast fortunes being wasted. The appeals will commence soon.
The FWA is clinically dead. Every week we learn of courts who pay it lip service and then circumvent it.
And in the meantime, every week it survives the human suffering, such as that endured by Mr Hall's unfortunate client, continues its abrasive effects upon its victims.
There is no access to Justice in this country if you do not speak English. The MoJ has abolished it.
For tweeters; #deathtotheMOJFWA