Sunday, January 19, 2014

Let's see if he actually does.

One of the biggest costs to the country today is translation services both at local and national level. It literally costs millions more to print pamphlets in various languages other than English (Yes there's a case for Welsh in Wales and Scot's Gael in Scotland) There's also the cost of providing state funded translators to those who use the benefits and health systems too.
Oddly enough if you tried this in France you'd have to deal with everything in French, no exceptions, so Cameron is looking at the problem here...
Mail.
David Cameron plans to strip welfare handouts from immigrants who cannot speak English.
In a radical bid to slash Britain’s benefits bill, the Prime Minister intends to stop printing welfare paperwork in foreign languages and prevent claimants using taxpayer-funded translators at benefits offices.
The move – which would also hit British residents who cannot speak English – was due to be announced tomorrow, but has been delayed following a row with Nick Clegg.
Tories hope that axeing foreign-language versions of documents explaining how to claim benefits would make it harder for immigrants such as newly arrived Romanians and Bulgarians to cash in on the UK’s benefits system, encourage others already here to learn English – and save money spent on translators.
Referring to the controversial Channel 4 programme, one Conservative aide said: ‘The Benefits Street culture must end. Period.’
OK, it's been announced, let's see if he can carry it through, it does seem unlikely considering the Lib Dem part of the coagulation will probably oppose it along with the leftard drones of the Labour Party. After all, they see benefits for all as a right for all, not as a safety net for those who either were born here or have contributed via taxation to the system.
It should never have been the responsibility of the taxpayer to fund translators and translations, that should have been the job of those trying to use the system, you either spoke English or brought someone along (paid by yourself) to translate for you. It would also have been an incentive to learn the language of the country you were living in as well.
Anyway, this might be a start to saving millions, I have my doubts that it's anything but a media headline grab, but at least they are thinking along the right lines.

6 annotations:

Anonymous said...

About time too! Now, if only they would scrap MP expenses, reduce the number of beuracrats, lower business taxes and actually get this country back on its feet.....

Mr. Morden said...

He should have done this in the early morning of his Government in 2010.

Too little, too late.

English Pensioner said...

Many of the Eastern Europeans speak far better English than any English.
I recently had some brickwork done, an Irish bricklayer and a Romanian labourer. I could understand the Romanian, but had some difficulty with the Irishman! Turned out the Romanian had a university education but couldn't get a suitable job; unlike many of our graduates who expect one on a plate, he was prepared to get out and work at whatever was available.

Longrider said...

Oddly enough if you tried this in France you'd have to deal with everything in French, no exceptions,

Yup. When I went to live in France, I could speak basic French. While living there, I took lessons at my own expense to improve my language skills. This was right and proper. Their country, their language - and, let's be fair, the French way of doing things was one of the reasons I loved it so much and miss it even now.

Peter Ellis loves riding bikes said...

Millions of ex pat brits have no intention of learning spanish at all

Quiet_Man said...

No one's saying they have too, however if they deal with the Spanish state, it's done in Spanish with them providing the translators at their own cost.