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731028

registered interest
date	21/06/2017
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government what is the procedure for freelance public service interpreters and translators to apply for clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL36
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2017 answer text <p>An individual who is seeking to work with children or vulnerable adults may be eligible for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, eligibility for which is set out in Part V of the Police Act 1997. Eligibility takes into account the activities and circumstances under which the person is performing the role, and not necessarily the profession.</p><p>Interpreters and translators in certain public service positions may accordingly already be eligible for enhanced checks, for example those working within prisons or those working in certain roles with children or vulnerable adults. It is for an employer to satisfy themselves that the relevant position is eligible under the current legal provisions. Detailed guidance on eligibility is provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 26/06/2017 15:39:36 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

731029

registered interest
date	21/06/2017
answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
answering dept id	203
answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government what are the foreign language skills of each member of the UK team negotiating withdrawal from the European Union
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL37
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2017 answer text <p>The team negotiating the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union has been chosen on the basis of expertise in the subject matter. The Department for Exiting the European Union does not centrally hold details of the language skills of its staff or members of the negotiating team.</p><p>The joint Terms of Reference for the Article 50 TEU negotiations, published on 19 June 2017, set out that English and French will be used as working languages during the negotiations, and in working documents. Where necessary, interpretation will be provided by the European Commission. All members of the team negotiating the UK’s withdrawal are therefore able to participate fully in the negotiations.</p><p><strong><br>The Terms of Reference can be found here - <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/620409/Terms_of_reference_for_the_Article_50_negotiations_between_the_United_Kingdom_and_the_European_Union.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/620409/Terms_of_reference_for_the_Article_50_negotiations_between_the_United_Kingdom_and_the_European_Union.pdf</a>. </strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 29/06/2017 11:40:09 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns attachment 1 file name Terms_of_reference_for_the_Article_50_negotiations_between_the_United_Kingdom_and_the_European_Union.pdf title Terms of Reference
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

731030

registered interest
date	21/06/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government what is their target for the number of school pupils who will (1) study, and (2) achieve, the English Baccalaureate by 2022; what estimate they have made of the number of modern foreign language (MFL) teachers required to meet those targets; and what assessment they have made of the impact on the achievability of those targets of any current or future shortage in MFL teacher numbers
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL38
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2017 answer text <p>The Government believes that the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) provides the right educational foundation for the majority of pupils. We want to see a significant increase in the proportion of pupils in mainstream secondary schools entering the EBacc combination of subjects at GCSE.</p><p> </p><p>We will publish further detail about the EBacc policy in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 29/06/2017 16:28:23 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

731031

registered interest
date	21/06/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of (1) the contribution of the Erasmus Plus programme to the supply chain of modern foreign language (MFL) teachers, and (2) the impact on the future supply chain of MFL teachers if the UK withdraws from the Erasmus Plus programme as a consequence of leaving the EU
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL39
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2017 answer text <p>We have no data on numbers of Erasmus+ participants who go on to be modern foreign language (MFL) teachers. At a national level we are retaining and recruiting the teachers we need. We recognise, however, that the situation is challenging in certain subjects including MFL. Therefore we are offering up to £25,000 for MFL bursaries and</p><p>have expanded the prestigious scholarship scheme for 2017/18 entry by introducing scholarships in MFL.</p><p> </p><p>We are funding subject specialism training in languages for non-specialist teachers who already have some language expertise, and for former language teachers returning to the subject. We have reviewed our approach on returners and developed a package of tailored classroom experience which seeks to increase the number of MFL returners and which will be piloted in the north-west and south-east. This will further complement the wider national package of advisor support available to returning MFL teachers.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the value of international exchange and collaboration in education and training, as part of our vision for the UK as a global nation. There may be European programmes – such as Erasmus+ – in which we might want to participate. We will consider this as part of the Brexit negotiation.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 28/06/2017 16:43:17 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

672268

registered interest
date	12/01/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	thebigword
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have a target figure for cost savings for the provision of court interpreters under the contract with <i>thebigword</i>; and if so, what is it, and against what baseline it is measured.
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL4606
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2017 answer text <p>The Ministry is committed to ensuring the justice system is supported by a range of quality language services that meet the needs of all those that require them.</p><p> </p><p>All our new language service contracts contain robust performance and charging provisions which are designed to ensure the value for money and affordability of the services provided by the department's suppliers. However, we have not felt it appropriate to set a target figure for cost savings for the provision of court interpreters, which is a demand-led service, given the importance we attach to the provision of such support to those who most need it.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 26/01/2017 14:22:30 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

672269

registered interest
date	12/01/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	thebigword
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the contract with <i>thebigword</i> for court interpreters specifies any particular level or type of qualification which individual interpreters are expected to have.
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL4607
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2017 answer text <p>The Ministry is committed to ensuring the justice system is supported by a range of high quality language services that meet the needs of all those that require them.</p><p> </p><p>Bookings are classified depending on their complexity level, namely: ‘standard’, ‘complex’ and ‘complex written’. These complexity levels were determined by each Commissioning Body.</p><p> </p><p>I can confirm that the contract sets out the minimum level of qualification and experience a language professional is required to have in order to work on each complexity level of booking. Details of these qualifications can be found at: <a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/975cb99e-fec6-430f-8f31-fd532a907137" target="_blank">https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/975cb99e-fec6-430f-8f31-fd532a907137</a></p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 26/01/2017 14:23:54 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

672270

registered interest
date	12/01/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Interpreters
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost, in the last quarter of 2016, of cancellations and adjournments of court hearings because no interpreter arrived, or because the interpreter arrived too late, or was an interpreter in the wrong language, or proved to be an inadequate interpreter; and how this cost compares with each quarter of the previous year.
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL4608
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2017 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 26/01/2017 14:24:47 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

672271

registered interest
date	12/01/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Interpreters
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the future supply chain of qualified court interpreters, in the light of the payment levels and cancellation policy established by the Ministry of Justice.
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL4609
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2017 answer text <p>The Ministry is keen to maintain the quality and capacity of the future supply chain of qualified court interpreters, to make sure that the justice system continues to be supported by a range of high quality language services that meet the needs of all those that require them.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry has awarded a contract to 'The Language Shop' (part of the London Borough of Newham) to provide us with independent quality assurance of the translation and interpretation services. This contract also includes the requirement for The Language Shop to develop and administer a Language Professional Trainee Scheme with the primary objective of increasing the resource available to the other language service suppliers in pursuit of fulfilling Commissioning Body bookings.</p><p> </p><p>The Trainee Scheme will provide one or more clear, structured and flexible pathways for part qualified language professionals to become qualified within specified timescales. The Language Shop, and the other language service suppliers, are also required to jointly promote and encourage participation in the Scheme at the point of registration and through industry and academic networks and events.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 26/01/2017 14:26:00 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

672272

registered interest
date	12/01/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Interpreters
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the provision of court interpreters is being independently monitored.
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL4610
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2017 answer text <p>The new language service contracts began on 31 October 2016 and are subject to robust governance arrangements.</p><p>These include monthly meetings with suppliers and stakeholders to monitor and discuss, in detail, the quality of the services being provided and performance against contractual performance indicators. The contracts also provide for the Ministry to audit the suppliers to verify the accuracy of contractual payments, management information, and compliance with contractual obligations.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Ministry has awarded a contract to 'The Language Shop' (part of the London Borough of Newham) to provide independent quality assurance of the services provided under the other contracts, including those awarded to the thebigword Ltd. The Language Shop undertakes this assurance in a number of ways, including managing the Ministry’s register of interpreters, conducting an annual audit of supplier processes for introducing new linguists, and a programme of 'spot checks' of interpreters undertaking assignments.</p><p> </p><p>The Language Shop also has a responsibility to assure the correct levels of qualifications, skills, security clearance and experience are held by each linguist through their ongoing assessment programme and in response to complaints or specific concerns during the contract period.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 26/01/2017 14:26:43 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

672273

registered interest
date	12/01/2017
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	thebigword
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government which company, or companies, are being sub-contracted by <i>thebigword</i> to provide court interpreting services; and whether those companies are subject to quality assurance.
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL4611
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2017 answer text <p>To ensure a high and consistent level of fulfilment across all geographical areas and in rare languages, thebigword have partnered with a number of subcontractors, namely: Global Language Services Limited, Cintra Translations Limited, Debonair Languages Ltd, Supreme Linguistic Services Ltd, Mango Spice Language Solutions, J-anne Interpreting and Translation Service Limited, Global Translation Services and Language River.</p><p> </p><p>Thebigword must ensure that its subcontracts contain obligations no less onerous on the sub-contractor than those imposed on them by the Ministry, including those relating to quality and performance standards. Thebigword are also responsible for carrying out audits to ensure subcontractor adherence to the contract service specification.</p><p> </p><p>All language professionals provided by thebigword, whether directly or via subcontractor, will be subject to ongoing quality assurance provided by The Language Shop. This includes a programme of 'spot checks' of interpreters undertaking assignments.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 26/01/2017 14:27:17 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins