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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

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

802501

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2017
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	UN Forum on Business and Human Rights
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they were represented at the 6th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, held in Geneva in November; and if so, by whom.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL3963
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2017 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Government was represented at the 6th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva on 27-29 November by officials from the Foreign &amp; Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Trade.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/12/2017 13:36:14 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

751973

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2017
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Tourism: VAT
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government whether the UK will be represented at the British Council Language and Development Conference 2017, to be held in Dakar in November; and if so, by whom.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL808
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/07/2017 answer text <p>The UK will be represented at the British Council Language and Development Conference 2017. The level of representation has not yet been determined.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 27/07/2017 13:34:25 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

637271

	registered interest
	date	15/11/2016
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Teachers: Migrant Workers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of figures showing that 85 per cent of modern foreign language assistants in British schools are non-UK EU nationals, what steps they are taking to continue to attract them and to safeguard their residency status following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL3196
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2016 answer text <p>My Rt Hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living here, and the only circumstances in which that would not be possible is if British citizens’ rights in European member states were not protected in return. The Government is considering the options for our future immigration system very carefully. As part of that it is important that we understand the effect on the different sectors of the economy and the labour market, including on modern foreign language teachers and assistants, from any changes that we make.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 29/11/2016 17:42:24 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

417494

	registered interest
	date	08/09/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Rights of Accused
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of the current United Kingdom law with the European Union Directives on the right to information in criminal proceedings, and on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2090
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The UK Government opted into these Directives, on 22 October 2010 and on 8 March 2010 respectively, and in transposing them into domestic law undertook careful analysis of the state of the existing law and whether any new measures were required to ensure compliance. As a result of this assessment, in England and Wales transposition included several new legislative measures, subsequently approved by Parliament, and the Devolved Administrations made similar arrangements. A full transposition table was provided to the European Commission as is normal practice. As with all Directives, the Government keeps compliance under review.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 22/09/2015 09:41:30 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

637765

	registered interest
	date	16/11/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Public Sector: Interpreters
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to guarantee the residency status of non-UK EU nationals currently working as public service interpreters in the criminal justice system and the NHS, following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL3279
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2016 answer text <p>The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living and working in the UK after the UK leaves the EU, and the only circumstances in which that wouldn’t be possible is if British citizens’ rights in other EU Member States were not protected in return.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 24/11/2016 16:26:20 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

637767

	registered interest
	date	16/11/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Public Sector: Interpreters
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions have been held between the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office about the eligibility of public service interpreters for a criminal records check at enhanced disclosure level; and what has been the outcome of those discussions.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL3280
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2016 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 in certain public service positions may 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 22/12/2016 12:36:19 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

637768

	registered interest
	date	16/11/2016
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Public Sector: Interpreters
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to include interpreting in public services within the list of excepted professions in Schedule 1 to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL3281
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2016 answer text <p>The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 lists areas of activity and proceedings which are exceptions to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA), meaning that the employer or other relevant body is entitled to ask for, and take into account, certain spent cautions and convictions (as well as unspent convictions).</p><p> </p><p>For inclusion within the Exceptions Order, there has to be compelling evidence that there exists an exceptional reason for the disclosure of the spent caution or conviction. For example, where the role involves working with vulnerable people. For the ROA to continue to be effective in achieving its aims of improving access to employment and rehabilitation, exceptions to the Act should only be sought where there is good reason.</p><p> </p><p>The exceptions take into account the role the person is carrying out and not necessarily the profession or job they do (unless it is proportionate to protect all roles in a job or profession). Interpreters in certain public service positions may already be included in the Exceptions Order, for example those working within prisons or those working in certain roles with children or vulnerable adults. It would not be appropriate or proportionate, however, to introduce a blanket provision to cover all such interpreters.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 21/12/2016 17:31:30 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins