Translation and the Public Sector
While the UK continues to welcome the contribution of immigrants, there is a need to provide translation services to improve their chances of integration and gaining equal access to public services.
Ruth Kelly, the then communities secretary, stirred up a hornet’s nest in June by suggesting translation services should be cut to encourage immigrants to learn English and integrate into wider society. She told the BBC’s Politics Show: “I think translation has been used too frequently and sometimes without thought added to the consequences.” She said some immigrants may lack the incentive to learn English because materials are routinely translated into their mother tongue.
She added that evidence suggested if someone did not try to learn English in their first six months in the UK they were unlikely ever to do so.
Whether or not you agree they should be provided, translation services cost the public sector a large amount of public money each year. The argument should not be about an either/or situation, but how to obtain more costeffective translation and interpretation services.
Read more: Translation and the Public Sector
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