Eric Pickles orders ban on council translations for migrants

Eric Pickles orders ban on council translations for migrants


Eric Pickles, the secretary of state for communities, has issued
instructions to local councils ordering them to stop wasting money on
translating in-house newsletters and information leaflets for migrants.








Eric Pickles calls for an end
“once and for all” to the practice of translating council leaflets, posters,
websites and newsletters into dozens of languages Photo: Geoff Pugh for the
Telegraph






By Patrick Sawer

8:00AM GMT 10 Mar 2013





He said the practice, which costs town halls nearly £20 million a year, was
not only a waste of money but also discouraged minority communities from
learning English. Some councils translate information into 100 languages.



In new government guidance to councils being published tomorrow, Eric Pickles
calls for an end “once and for all” to the practice of translating their
leaflets, posters, websites and newsletters into dozens of languages.


Mr Pickles will point out that local authorities are misinterpreting
equalities legislation and believe, wrongly, that they have a legal duty to
translate documents into foreign languages.


Mr Pickles will argue that “Britain misses out and our country is poorer if
people can’t speak English” and that translation services have an unintentional,
adverse impact on integration.


He said: “This is putting people, particularly migrants, at a disadvantage
because speaking English is fundamental to the ability to progress in British
society and to contribute to the wider economy.



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“The Government is committed to helping people learn English which helps to
promote cohesion and better community relations.”

Among the publications Mr Pickles highlights as not being suitable for
translation are in-house magazines.

He cites Crawley Borough Council, which spent £600 publishing its glossy
12-page quarterly Homelink lifestyle magazine into Urdu after a single resident
complained they could not read English.

He also points to Southwark Council, which translates information about its
services into over 70 languages.

According to the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG),
translation services cost the public sector nearly £100 million a year.

A spokesman said ending automatic translation of publications would help to
promote cohesion and better community relations, while allowing councils to make
savings at a time when the public sector is under pressure to cut costs.

He said: “The Government has launched a new community based language
programme that will promote new and creative ways of getting people involved so
they have the power not only to get on with people in Britain, but also to get
on in life.
==============
Where I live the Docks area is full of migrants and the Clinic in that area has 7 Women Translators who help those who cannot speak English. They go to the Dentists , Lawyers, Council Offices , DHSS etc with them to act as interpreters.!!!!

Sensible words from an MP - sadly that doesn't happen very often! I wonder if there will be howls of protests as there were when Jack Straw said that immigrants should make an effort to learn English.

I doubt it , this immigration problem has been with us for years yet now there is a threat of more immigrants coming to Britain all of a sudden it becomes a crisis. Iv.e said all along Cameron is reactive, not proactive and I wouldn't be surprised if he is ousted by his Party before 2015, rwemember what they did to Maggie Thatcher.

Panda wrote:I doubt it , this immigration problem has been with us for years yet now there is a threat of more immigrants coming to Britain all of a sudden it becomes a crisis. Iv.e said all along Cameron is reactive, not proactive and I wouldn't be surprised if he is ousted by his Party before 2015, rwemember what they did to Maggie Thatcher.

The sooner they do it the better. I used to hate TB and GB and Cam is up there alongside them. What a disappointment he's been.

Angelina wrote:

Panda wrote:I doubt it , this immigration problem has been with us for years yet now there is a threat of more immigrants coming to Britain all of a sudden it becomes a crisis. Iv.e said all along Cameron is reactive, not proactive and I wouldn't be surprised if he is ousted by his Party before 2015, rwemember what they did to Maggie Thatcher.

The sooner they do it the better. I used to hate TB and GB and Cam is up there alongside them. What a disappointment he's been.

I will reply on the Cameron thread Angelina, otherwise this thread is going to lose track.