Town halls told to stop wasting ?20m of taxpayers' cash on translators and issue docu

[super jumbe]

MP Eric Pickles has called on local councils to stop wasting money on reprinting documents in a variety of languages


Councils have been told to stop squandering ?20 million of taxpayers? money on translation services and issue all documents in ?plain English?.

The edict came from Communities and Local Government secretary Eric Pickles - who argued that publishing papers in English would encourage migrants to integrate.


Pickles argues its far cheaper to produce officials documents in 'plain English' than incur the cost of reprinting in a host of languages


The Cabinet Minister reminded local authorities that while they have to comply with equalities legislation ?this is not a legal duty to translate documents into foreign languages?.

Those who could not speak English could be helped by ?easy read versions of documents and using pictures instead of translation?.

Mr Pickles added that his department would be ?practising what we preach? by producing leaflets as part of its Fire Kills safety education campaign in English only.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has also previously called for an end to the translation free-for-all, arguing the money would be better spent on English lessons to help immigrants adapt to Britain.

But despite repeated promises to halt the practice, the last Labour government presided over a boom in town halls? relying on translation services.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2292459/Town-halls-told-stop-wasting-20m-taxpayers-cash-translators-issue-documents-plain-English.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

[firemouth]

I've just been violently, and repeatedly, sick.
It appears agreeing with this fat oaf, does not agree with me!

looks, to me, like it may not just be a saving, but could end up as an income stream for councils!

[Snowy79]

He'll be out on his arse if he comes up with anymore sensible ideas.

[Meat-Head]

fair enough using public money for internet access so they can access DK and google translate

[super jumbe]

DK only English speaking forum so does UK if you do not understand English then you are not welcome simple as that, why the tax payers have to take the burden???

[thered]

In the Uk speak English simple

when i go on holiday i learn all the lingo


Well i dont its English, with an accent and slower and broken, i sometimes stick an "o" on words for extra effect

Its served me well tbh

[GastonJ]

"Councils have been told to stop squandering ?20 million of taxpayers***8217; money on translation services and issue all documents in ***8216;plain English***8217;.

The edict came from Communities and Local Government secretary Eric Pickles - who argued that publishing papers in English would encourage migrants to integrate."

And does he think there will be no cost to making this change - which councils must do? Who does he think will pay for that to happen, the effing council tax payers that's who. We'll probably also have to pay for interpretation services with interpreters having to sit there or be at the end of the phone to help people fill the forms out. So get rid of expense by making councils spend more?

Eric Pickles and his mates must have shares in printing companies and interpretation companies.

[thered]

"Councils have been told to stop squandering ?20 million of taxpayers***8217; money on translation services and issue all documents in ***8216;plain English***8217;.

The edict came from Communities and Local Government secretary Eric Pickles - who argued that publishing papers in English would encourage migrants to integrate."

And does he think there wioll be no cost to making this change - which councils must do? Who does he think will pay for that to happen, the effing council tax payers that's who. So get rid of expense by making councils spend more?

Eric Pickles and his mates must have shares in printing companies.

Why what language are they in now?

[thered]

If they want to save some cash they can stop sending me letters twice


I put car tax in few weeks to ago to get refund, they sent a cheque in one envelope and receipt in other

why not one?

Then other day i got council tax bill, just got another today exactly the same

These are not one off instances they happen regular not just to me but family, me nanna is always moaning about it

Surely all these wasted letters cost a fortune over a year, its great if you own royal mail

[GastonJ]

About 70 from reading the article, though I never believe the DM - it's a Tory propaganda rag so will only mention money being wasted by any council that isn't Tory. You can be sure any changes will mean thousands, if not millions of forms and leaflets are thrown away and all reprinted from scratch - costing the local taxpayers, not central government, who after all would only mean taxpayers paying it anyway.

So all well and good Eric saying it, it's not him paying, it's "us"

and agree with you on the letters tbh. I got 4 letters form HMRC in the space of a week.

[thered]

About 70 from reading the article, though I never believe the DM - it's a Tory propaganda rag so will only mention money being wasted by any council that isn't Tory. You can be sure any changes will mean thousands, if not millions of forms and leaflets are thrown away and all reprinted from scratch - costing the local taxpayers, not central government, who after all would only mean taxpayers paying it anyway.

So all well and good Eric saying it, it's not him paying, it's "us"

and agree with you on the letters tbh. I got 4 letters form HMRC in the space of a week.

Isnt that what politics is about?

you could say same about the Daily mirror

I think the idea is they learn the lingo to avoid having to go through interpreters which i imagine costs more dosh than printing forms

the principals good IMO depends on the reality


do they turf people out who cant read engish?

probably not so back to square one

[GastonJ]

I'll bet you ?1 that it will cost more......

[thered]

I'll bet you ?1 that it will cost more......

Your on

[Kalipo]

Hey, i have an idea..

How the government can make ?20million..

Why not print everything in Hungarian.. then get the reader to pay to translate it..

[nara]

I hope this idea also includes all the bilingual crap that's churned out in Wales also.

[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-14581784]BBC News - Welsh CHCs in Welsh Language Board translation cost row[/url]