£110m bill for migrants who won't talk English

mkpdavies · 13-12-2006, 12:41 PM

http://express.lineone.net/news_detail.html?sku=873

Quote:

MINISTERS have come under fire after it was revealed that at least £110million a year is spent on translation services for immigrants.

The Government admitted that ploughing taxpayers’ cash into fees for interpreters acted as a barrier to integration rather than a help.

In a victory for commonsense, communities minister Phil Woolas said less money should now be spent on such services and more on teaching English.

The shake-up came as it emerged that one council details its rubbish collection in 15 languages while another pays for one-to-one sessions in Turkish to quit smoking.

This is just the thin end of the wedge.

BASILDON BOY · 14-12-2006, 11:56 AM

Use the Freedom of Information Act to assk your local Council how much they spend on 'language line' translation services and printing forms in different languages for the past 5 years.

Ask as well how much is spent in adult education in specifically teaching non English speakers - English - for the past 5 years.

The answer would make a great UKIP press release to gain publicity in the run up to next years lovcal elections.

You will probably find the cost of translation services going up - while adult education budget is going down.

Hartlepool · 14-12-2006, 01:33 PM

That stuff will have already been covered by the bnp mate.

BASILDON BOY · 14-12-2006, 05:17 PM

More defeatism!

Have your read about this in your local paper about your local council?

Take the political initiative and make it a local UKIP issue to campaign on!

freedom & democracy 4 · 17-12-2006, 07:43 PM

What a mug this country has become. Its all part of Blairs and the EU's social commitments. There was a pregnant, unemployed polish woman on the news (another eu import) who was at her local GP. She could not speak English so she had an interpreter present. The use of that interpreter must have cost the tax payer a fortune, not to mention the un-employment and other benefits shes on. Then if she needed medication, the free prescription she would have needed. Her reason for not learning English was because she could not be bothered because she had no reason to learn it. Hang on your in England where the language is English, not bloody polish!

The whole world must laugh at what this country does to make people feel at home!

Robin · 17-12-2006, 09:04 PM

It should be a health and safety issue !

When you go into some premises a video and short induction course has to be done.

A notice-The Railway Shops and Commercial Premises Act has to be displayed in establishments. Presumeably for people to read it.Therefore if it cannot be read its a safety matter.

Safety announcements are broadcast on ships and planes-no point if people cant understand them.

We will just have to wait until someone dies before it is realised.

Unionist · 17-12-2006, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin

It should be a health and safety issue !

When you go into some premises a video and short induction course has to be done.

A notice-The Railway Shops and Commercial Premises Act has to be displayed in establishments. Presumeably for people to read it.Therefore if it cannot be read its a safety matter.

Safety announcements are broadcast on ships and planes-no point if people cant understand them.

We will just have to wait until someone dies before it is realised.

You have a point but I would say that reading the Railway Shops and Commercial Premises Act rates only about No. 94 on my list of reasons to learn English.

In the context of this forum I probably count as a moderate on immigration (or a "pro-immigration extremist" as one said!) but I do think that learning English must be a priority for all immigrants.

There are lots of reasons why it is good for society as a whole and for individual immigrants themselves that they learn English. I am not against the use of translators when people are new to the country but the expectation should be that all residents speak English once they have been here for a certain time. Providing translators on a short-term basis for people entirely new to the country is humane and reasonable, whereas continuing to provide translators for long-term residents means ghettoisation and social breakdown.

It is not easy to make the distinction in day-to-day situations but we should make a good standard of English a necessary requirement for visa extensions (e.g., beyond two years) and citizenship applications. I agree that we should also stop the practice of routinely putting up multilingual signs at public buildings since this only says to people that learning English is not a priority.

It happens that I spoke to a Chinese girl this morning who has only been in the UK for 6 months. She apologised for not being able to speak English well but in fact she was reasonably fluent. I would compare this with the many situations I have been in where I have had to have translators with me to speak to people who have lived in the country for 20 years or more - more often than not women who are very isolated from the wider society. This isolation reinforces all of the negative and repressive cultural norms that run against the grain of a free society.

Robin · 18-12-2006, 03:51 PM

Unionist,

The R,S &CP act was as an illustration about safety, but another point to make is about the armed forces. If these "citizens" were to join would they be able to follow orders if they cannot speak English ? Or would every order have to be in 76 languages ?

Or would these "citizens" integrate and join the services or police ?

freedom & democracy 4 · 31-12-2006, 11:57 AM

I have sent Havant borough Council (the same one that banned the word chritsmas) an email asking for the figures of how much has been spent on translations ect. They replied saying the request has been passed to the relevant department.

Dissident Congress · 31-12-2006, 12:14 PM

I have been trying to find out for several years how much money Fareham Borough Council and Hampshire County Council spend on translating and printing documents in foreign languages without success. The councils refused to disclose figures.

I am pleased that the issue of translating and interpreting to foreign languages has finally been picked up by the mainstream press.

14-12-2006, 11:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
BASILDON BOY Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: N'Djamena, Chad Posts: 1,756	Use the Freedom of Information Act to assk your local Council how much they spend on 'language line' translation services and printing forms in different languages for the past 5 years. Ask as well how much is spent in adult education in specifically teaching non English speakers - English - for the past 5 years. The answer would make a great UKIP press release to gain publicity in the run up to next years lovcal elections. You will probably find the cost of translation services going up - while adult education budget is going down. __________________ Mike Nattrass MEP is HOT HOT HOT!!!

14-12-2006, 05:17 PM	#4 (permalink)
BASILDON BOY Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: N'Djamena, Chad Posts: 1,756	More defeatism! Have your read about this in your local paper about your local council? Take the political initiative and make it a local UKIP issue to campaign on! __________________ Mike Nattrass MEP is HOT HOT HOT!!!

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14-12-2006, 01:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
Hartlepool Uber Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: North East England Posts: 6,660 Party: Free England Party	That stuff will have already been covered by the bnp mate.

17-12-2006, 07:43 PM	#5 (permalink)
freedom & democracy 4 Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Emsworth, full of the EU's Polish imports! Posts: 209	What a mug this country has become. Its all part of Blairs and the EU's social commitments. There was a pregnant, unemployed polish woman on the news (another eu import) who was at her local GP. She could not speak English so she had an interpreter present. The use of that interpreter must have cost the tax payer a fortune, not to mention the un-employment and other benefits shes on. Then if she needed medication, the free prescription she would have needed. Her reason for not learning English was because she could not be bothered because she had no reason to learn it. Hang on your in England where the language is English, not bloody polish! The whole world must laugh at what this country does to make people feel at home!

17-12-2006, 09:04 PM	#6 (permalink)
Robin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 759	It should be a health and safety issue ! When you go into some premises a video and short induction course has to be done. A notice-The Railway Shops and Commercial Premises Act has to be displayed in establishments. Presumeably for people to read it.Therefore if it cannot be read its a safety matter. Safety announcements are broadcast on ships and planes-no point if people cant understand them. We will just have to wait until someone dies before it is realised.

18-12-2006, 03:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
Robin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 759	Unionist, The R,S &CP act was as an illustration about safety, but another point to make is about the armed forces. If these "citizens" were to join would they be able to follow orders if they cannot speak English ? Or would every order have to be in 76 languages ? Or would these "citizens" integrate and join the services or police ?

31-12-2006, 11:57 AM	#9 (permalink)
freedom & democracy 4 Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Emsworth, full of the EU's Polish imports! Posts: 209	I have sent Havant borough Council (the same one that banned the word chritsmas) an email asking for the figures of how much has been spent on translations ect. They replied saying the request has been passed to the relevant department.

31-12-2006, 12:14 PM	#10 (permalink)
Dissident Congress Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 725	I have been trying to find out for several years how much money Fareham Borough Council and Hampshire County Council spend on translating and printing documents in foreign languages without success. The councils refused to disclose figures. I am pleased that the issue of translating and interpreting to foreign languages has finally been picked up by the mainstream press.