Education: Languages Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Education: Languages

Baroness Hooper Excerpts
Thursday 1st July 2010

(14 years, 5 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Hooper Portrait Baroness Hooper
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My Lords, can my noble friend give more information about the scope and background to the Paris declaration and tell us if the United Kingdom is a party to it?

Lord Hill of Oareford Portrait Lord Hill of Oareford
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The background of the declaration is a report into the shortage of trained linguists and translators. I saw a figure somewhere in connection with this, which estimates that the value of translation services in the EU is €1 billion a year. It is a big market, which should provide lots of opportunities for trained linguists to benefit. I do not believe that the Government were involved in the process of the declaration.