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The business secretary has been urged by a voluntary regulator for interpreters to take action over 'Wild West' conditions that have resulted in courts struggling to find suitably qualified linguists.
The National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) raised concerns with Andrea Leadsom after Bolton-based Debonair Languages ceased operations last month. It was a subcontractor for Leeds-headquartered thebigword, which was awarded a Ministry of Justice contract in 2016.
A foreign language interpreting firm providing services to the courts has ceased trading, leaving linguists out of pocket and again raising questions about how much taxpayers' money goes to middlemen in the language industry.
An alleged rapist wanted for breaching his bail is on the run again after magistrates freed him because they couldn't find an interpreter.
The main company contracted by the government to provide courtroom interpreting has pledged to honour bookings made by a sub-contractor which appears to be no longer in business.
