SCC Blasted For Spending £700K On Translation In 3 Years

[the_bloke]

 

Sorry! Are you seriously asking me? Local authorities are obliged by various laws to provide certain services.

 

Yes, I am asking you. There is no legal requirement for any part of local government and other tax payer funded bodies to provide translations and interpreters apart from the Police, when they arrest someone.

 

Interesting that SCC state they need to have non English documentation when they serve legal notices; as far as I know, ignorance of the English language is not a legal defence and if they aren't claiming the translation cost back from the person being served notice then they should.

[GLASGOWOODS]

Local government like to make up their own rules and expect everyone to abide by them like sheep.

[Penistone999]

Eric Pickles is saying that translation should only be used in emergencies. I think that's too restrictive.

 

No it not.

 

If people who have entered this country to live cannot be bothered to learn basic English why should the tax payer pick up the tab for their laziness. ?

[ECCOnoob]

No it not.

 

If people who have entered this country to live cannot be bothered to learn basic English why should the tax payer pick up the tab for their laziness. ?

 

Are you on this planet?

 

Thousands of brits flock over to Thailand, Africa, Europe for 6m, 12m gap years without learning the language. They get into trouble and have to rely upon the local authorities to sort them out. They expect and demand documents and translators to be in English. Just look at some of these wonderful human interest documentaries and reality shows. No insurance. Little money. Drunken behaviour and then leaving it to the local authorities to sort them out.

 

There are loads of expats living in their summer holiday homes with a very weak grasp of the local language. They resort to the SLOW SHOUTING AND POINTING methods of communication. There are specialist firms in law and finance who target the brit abroad to provide services in their language without having to deal with those dirty locals.

 

Just as we have thousands of foreign students over here. We have thousands of ours going elsewhere to study in the far east and Africa. Do you really they all have a understanding of the language or do you suppose they get translation and interpretation help?

 

It works both ways and despite the Sheffield Star trying to make a mountain out of molehill. The costs of translation is piffle compared to some other aspects of budget allocation. I bet they spent more on biscuits and fancy hospitality dinners than they do on translation services each years.

Edited February 21, 2015 by ECCOnoob

[Chez2]

I have to agree with Truman.

 

On the odd time we've needed medical care on holiday, the first thing asked for is the insurance details.

 

Forget the e111 (ehic now), they're not interested.

 

I have had to pay for a translator when needing medical care on holiday in Spain, many years ago.

 

I travel to Bulgaria for my holidays but my Bulgarian is very basic. I can read and write enough to use an translation dictionary. I would put effort into being fluent if I was to spend any significant amount of time there though. We have to pay for translation services when buying property or completing legal documents etc, I wouldn't expect it to be given for free. Ater all, who works for nothing?

 

I would always withhold the travel insurance and try to use whatever they call the EU reciprocal medical agreement certificate. I am told that they run up a bill if they know its an insurance job.

 

In our holiday complex we are lucky enough to have English speaking doctors on site but we do pay an annual fee for that convenience as part of the facility.

[JFKvsNixon]

No it not.

 

If people who have entered this country to live cannot be bothered to learn basic English why should the tax payer pick up the tab for their laziness. ?

 

So do you believe that basic English is enough to understand legal/medical documents and phraseology?

[rossyrooney]

I have had to pay for a translator when needing medical care on holiday in Spain, many years ago.

 

I travel to Bulgaria for my holidays but my Bulgarian is very basic. I can read and write enough to use an translation dictionary. I would put effort into being fluent if I was to spend any significant amount of time there though. We have to pay for translation services when buying property or completing legal documents etc, I wouldn't expect it to be given for free. Ater all, who works for nothing?

 

I would always withhold the travel insurance and try to use whatever they call the EU reciprocal medical agreement certificate. I am told that they run up a bill if they know its an insurance job.

 

In our holiday complex we are lucky enough to have English speaking doctors on site but we do pay an annual fee for that convenience as part of the facility.

 

There's a programme currently being shown called Benidorm ER., it shows a private hospital where foreign holidaymakers who are ill or injured are taken to be treated.

After making sure the patients have insurance they submit them to every test it is possible to have and then invariably admit them overnight to await the results.

The bills put in to the insurance companies must be huge.

[spilldig]

Are you on this planet?

 

Thousands of brits flock over to Thailand, Africa, Europe for 6m, 12m gap years without learning the language. They get into trouble and have to rely upon the local authorities to sort them out. They expect and demand documents and translators to be in English. Just look at some of these wonderful human interest documentaries and reality shows. No insurance. Little money. Drunken behaviour and then leaving it to the local authorities to sort them out.

 

There are loads of expats living in their summer holiday homes with a very weak grasp of the local language. They resort to the SLOW SHOUTING AND POINTING methods of communication. There are specialist firms in law and finance who target the brit abroad to provide services in their language without having to deal with those dirty locals.

 

Just as we have thousands of foreign students over here. We have thousands of ours going elsewhere to study in the far east and Africa. Do you really they all have a understanding of the language or do you suppose they get translation and interpretation help?

 

It works both ways and despite the Sheffield Star trying to make a mountain out of molehill. The costs of translation is piffle compared to some other aspects of budget allocation. I bet they spent more on biscuits and fancy hospitality dinners than they do on translation services each years.

 

If they want to do it then that's up to them, but I don't want my taxes/rates going on that here, and they should also stop the gravy train you mentioned as well.

[Dannyno]

No it not.

 

If people who have entered this country to live cannot be bothered to learn basic English why should the tax payer pick up the tab for their laziness. ?

 

Well now. Shall we think about this for a moment?

 

I'm in favour of people learning English, in their own interests, and in the interests of society. I don't think everything should be translated, because a) it's really expensive, and b) it would take away an incentive to learn. But I think important information could be translated: about democracy, about crucial rules and regulations, about health, and so on. I also think that if a child of parents whose first language isn't English needs some help and they have trouble understanding, then it's a good idea to have a translator on hand.

 

I expect you can think of other reasons why translation should be available, when it's in everyone's interests.

 

I'm also curious about this notion that people who come to live here deliberately refuse to learn English because .... well why? That makes their life easier? There might be some people like that, but not the vast majority.

 

Isn't a more likely scenario that someone has English as a second language and can indeed communicate and understand basic English, but might need help with more complex official language, health information, and things like that?

 

I'm also interested in the idea that an immigrant is not going to be a tax payer.

 

I'm in favour of promoting integration, not isolation and separatism. That's why I think translation should be available - not for everything, but for crucial things. I think that's in the interests of society as a whole.

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2015 at 22:41 ----------

 

Dannyno. Take your hi-viz jacket off, put your clip board and official local government pen down and have a cup of tea.

 

I've read this a couple of times now, but I've failed to discover any coherent thought or idea or argument in it. There is some sort of notion that I work for local government, which I don't.

 

I wonder if GLASGOWOODS has misunderstood my post? Do you think we should translate all our posts into several languages, to help people like them?

[Narden Dee]

Well now. Shall we think about this for a moment?

 

I'm in favour of people learning English, in their own interests, and in the interests of society. I don't think everything should be translated, because a) it's really expensive, and b) it would take away an incentive to learn. But I think important information could be translated: about democracy, about crucial rules and regulations, about health, and so on. I also think that if a child of parents whose first language isn't English needs some help and they have trouble understanding, then it's a good idea to have a translator on hand.

 

I expect you can think of other reasons why translation should be available, when it's in everyone's interests.

 

I'm also curious about this notion that people who come to live here deliberately refuse to learn English because .... well why? That makes their life easier? There might be some people like that, but not the vast majority.

 

Isn't a more likely scenario that someone has English as a second language and can indeed communicate and understand basic English, but might need help with more complex official language, health information, and things like that?

 

I'm also interested in the idea that an immigrant is not going to be a tax payer.

 

I'm in favour of promoting integration, not isolation and separatism. That's why I think translation should be available - not for everything, but for crucial things. I think that's in the interests of society as a whole.

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2015 at 22:41 ----------

 

 

I've read this a couple of times now, but I've failed to discover any coherent thought or idea or argument in it. There is some sort of notion that I work for local government, which I don't.

 

I wonder if GLASGOWOODS has misunderstood my post? Do you think we should translate all our posts into several languages, to help people like them?

its similar to Moores Law i call it

Sheffield Forum Law -

whereby anyone who brings a reasoned argument into a SCC bashing thread (see also threads about buses and their drivers, police, ) and it seems you may have a viewpoint that is diametrically opposed to the OPs viewpoint then you are there by employed by the company (SCC, First, Stagecoach etc etc ) and as such your opinion is unworthy.