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The UK's Ministry of Justice has provided written responses to additional questions from theÌýUK .

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The Minister for Courts and Legal Services​ Sarah Sackman KC MP wrote to Baroness Morris in a letter dated 24th of January 2025, setting out important information and new commitments covering:ÌýÌý Ìý

Interpreter Surveys and Feedback:

The letter shares the findings of two major surveys which were conducted by the MoJ in summer 2023: one targeting MoJ-registered interpreters and another sent to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Interpreter members.Ìý

Complaints and Quality:

In 2024, the MoJ asserts, only 2% of complaints (17 out of 751) related to interpreting quality. 33% of complaints concerned interpreter conduct, including unprofessional behavior and last-minute cancellations. The letter also sets out that three complaints against an interpreter within a year or failing a quality assessment results in removal from the MoJ register.

New Training and Pay Initiatives:

The trainee scheme has part-funded qualifications in nine languages including Greek, Somali, Albanian, and Portuguese to date. The trainee scheme contribution will increase from 50% to 75% of exam costs in the proposed new contract. CPI-linked (inflation based) pay adjustments will be applied to rates in the new contractsÌýstarting from 2026.

Qualification Requirements:

Most court bookings (75%) currently require "complex" or "complex written" level qualifications. Current the current MoJ register includes 1,137 standard level, 1,006 complex level, and 1,505 complex written level interpreters. The new contracts starting from Autumn 2026 will introduce simplified "Professional Standard" (Level 6) and "Community Standard" (Level 3) categories in line with the Qualifications Review commissioned in 2022.Ìý

This brings more facts, data and commitments into the public domain, which will better enable parliamentarians, the public, interpreters and stakeholders to hold government and publicly-contracted providers to account. ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ will continue to work to shine a light on problems and maintain our focus on the importance of improved pay rates, better working conditions and a full and ongoing commitment to the use of properly regulated, qualified, professional interpreters.

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