Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police custody suites in the UK have technology to allow live-link interpretation; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of such interpretation.

The Home Office does not collect this data. However, we support the use of video to minimise time spent in court and streamlined procedures that save time and money. The police and the wider Criminal Justice System need to meet the needs of a public who increasingly use technology in their day-to-day lives. They must have the tools and the skills to deal with digital information, to tackle crime, support victims and ensure swift justice.