Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support local authorities to reduce spending on translation into foreign languages, and whether they have issued any guidance to local authorities on this.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As independent bodies who take their own decisions, local authorities are responsible for assessing the need and value for money in delivering any translation services for their residents.

Government recognises that the ability to speak English is key to helping people integrate into life in the UK, as well as supporting people to access education, employment and other opportunities.

We continue to support English language provision in various ways, including through providing £11.5 million for English language courses and employment support for up to 12,500 Ukrainians across the UK through the ‘STEP Ukraine’ programme. Other cohorts supported with similar English Language provision include Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) and Afghans arriving in the UK through HMG-led relocation schemes.

More generally, the Department for Education supports adults aged 19+ in England who do not have English as a first language to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, via the Adult Skills Fund.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to improve integration in communities by supporting English language proficiency.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As independent bodies who take their own decisions, local authorities are responsible for assessing the need and value for money in delivering any translation services for their residents.

Government recognises that the ability to speak English is key to helping people integrate into life in the UK, as well as supporting people to access education, employment and other opportunities.

We continue to support English language provision in various ways, including through providing £11.5 million for English language courses and employment support for up to 12,500 Ukrainians across the UK through the ‘STEP Ukraine’ programme. Other cohorts supported with similar English Language provision include Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) and Afghans arriving in the UK through HMG-led relocation schemes.

More generally, the Department for Education supports adults aged 19+ in England who do not have English as a first language to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, via the Adult Skills Fund.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve English language proficiency amongst those with English as a second language.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

Schools are allocated funding through the English as an additional language factor in the national funding formula which they can draw on to support pupils. This directs funding to schools (worth £590 per eligible primary pupil and £1,585 per eligible secondary pupil) based on the number of pupils on roll who are classed as having a first language other than English and who have started in the state-funded education system in England in the last three years. Schools are responsible for ensuring that all pupils can access the full curriculum and have flexibility in how they spend their overall budgets to put appropriate support provision in place. No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of this approach for pupils with a first language other than English. However, the government will keep the matter under review.

In addition, the government supports adults aged 19 and over in England who are non-native speakers to access English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision, funded through the adult skills fund (ASF). Currently, approximately 60% of the ASF is devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the ASF in their local areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF to meet the needs of their communities.

In non-devolved skills areas, individuals aged 19 and over, including refugees, those granted humanitarian protection and asylum seekers, can be fully funded or co-funded to study ESOL depending on their employment status and salary, and provided they meet the residency criteria set out in the ASF Funding and Performance Management Rules.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 17 December (HL3301), what steps the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is taking to discourage local authorities from translating into foreign languages, in line with the Guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality for Civil Servants, published on 14 May, and the associated guidance in 2013.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN HL2739 on 4 December 2024.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 3 December (HL2738), whether the guidance against unnecessary translation of documents into foreign languages in paragraph 44 of Guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality Requirements for Civil Servants remains Civil Service policy.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The current version of this guidance published on 14 May 2024 remains in place.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 3 December 2024 (HL2738), what is the aggregate value of the Crown Commercial Service framework agreement on translation into foreign languages.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The aggregated value of spend on translation via the Crown Commercial Services language services framework (RM6141) is £5,402,890. (correct as of 10/12/2024).

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to (1) the Written Statement by the former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 12 March 2013 (HC 5WS-6WS), and (2) the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 17 December (HL3302), whether they have made an assessment of the cost of translation to the public purse.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cabinet Office does not hold information on the total cost of translation across Government. Individual departments are responsible for determining their own translation requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the effect of public bodies’ translation into foreign languages on integration and community cohesion.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Government recognises that the ability to speak English is key to helping people integrate into life in the UK, as well as supporting people to access education, employment and other opportunities. Public bodies are responsible for determining their own requirements for language services and ensuring these deliver good value for money for the taxpayer and a good service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Twycross on 17 December (HL3302), what records the Crown Commercial Service holds on which public bodies have taken out contracts for translation services using the framework agreement on translation into foreign languages.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) collects information from suppliers for public bodies that have taken out contracts for translation services under its Language Services agreement (RM6141) only. These records contain the names of the public sector bodies (contracting authority) and their spend through the framework, an aggregate of £5,402,890 from 10 May 2021 to 10 December 2024.

Public bodies that have used the CCS commercial agreement RM6141 Language Services include: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Bridgend County Borough Council, British Library, British Transport Police, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Department for Transport, Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, Environment Agency, Equality and Human Rights Commission, High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd, HM Revenue & Customs, Intellectual Property Office, London Borough of Brent Council, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, London Borough of Lambeth Council, London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, National Crime Agency, NHS England, NHS England - East of England, NHS England Sustainable Improvement Team, NHS Improvement, NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Unit, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Office for National Statistics, Office for Nuclear Regulation, Oxfordshire County Council, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Serious Fraud Office, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, The Pensions Regulator, Transport for London, UK Health Security Agency, Westminster City Council and Wokingham Borough Council.

Information on individual contracts should be publicly available on Contracts Finder at the following link: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Twycross on (1) 3 December (HL2738), and (2) 17 December (HL3301), why the Written Answer of 3 December stated that no guidance on translation had been issued by the Cabinet Office but the Written Answer of 17 December stated the Guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality for Civil Servants, published on 14 May, remains in force; and whether they will now correct the official record.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

No specific guidance has been directly issued by the Cabinet Office on the topic of reducing spending by the civil service on translation into foreign languages. The Guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality Requirements for Civil Servants signposts to another department's guidance that was issued in 2013.

Found: present: Baroness Taylor of Bolton (The Chair); Lord Best; Viscount Chandos; Baroness Drake; Lord Gilbert of Panteg

Found: Ventures Baroness Drake Interests as set out in the Register of Lords’ Interests Lord Gilbert of Panteg

Found: UK Wind PLC Baroness Drake Interests as set out in the Register of Lords’ Interests Lord Gilbert of Panteg

Found: present: Baroness Taylor of Bolton (The Chair); Lord Best; Viscount Chandos; Baroness Drake; Lord Gilbert of Panteg

Found: Armstrong of Hill Top; Lord Best; Viscount Chandos; Lord Clement-Jones; Lord Cromwell; Lord Gilbert of Panteg

Found: Chair); Lord Agnew of Oulton; Lord Altrincham; Lord Best; Viscount Chandos; Lord Cromwell; Lord Gilbert of Panteg

Found: Chair); Lord Agnew of Oulton; Lord Altrincham; Lord Best; Viscount Chandos; Lord Cromwell; Lord Gilbert of Panteg

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