DSA interpreters and professional standards

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Dear Driving Standards Agency,
Further to the case of DSA interpreter Mr Peter Hui who was sent to prison for fraud (http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/lates...) I am writing to request the following information about interpreters used by the DSA.

1) How are interpreters used by the DSA sourced?
2) What standards apply to the interpreters used by the DSA?
3) Was Mr Peter Hui registered with any of the following professional bodies:
a) National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI)
b) Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL)
c) Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI)
d) Association of Police and Court Interpreters (APCI)
4) If Mr Peter Hui was registered with any of the bodies listed under question 2, what action has been taken by the DSA to pursue a complaint against Mr Hui through the disciplinary procedures of those bodies?

The same article refers to an Urdu translator [sic] having been arrested as well. With regard to the Urdu interpreter,
4) Was the Urdu interpreter registered with any of the following professional bodies:
a) National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI)
b) Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL)
c) Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI)
d) Association of Police and Court Interpreters (APCI)
4) If the Urdu interpreter was registered with any of the bodies listed under question 2, what action has been taken by the DSA to pursue a complaint against the Urdu interpreter through the disciplinary procedures of those bodies?

Yours faithfully,

M Lee

Driving Standards Agency

2 Attachments

Driving Standards Agency

Knowledge and Information Management Team

The Axis Building

112 Upper Parliament Street

NOTTINGHAM NG1 6LP

 

direct line: (0115) 936 6034

email: [DSA request email]

website: www.gov.uk/dsa

 

 

                                                                          

                                                                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M Lee

 

our ref: IA/00409/13

 

17 July 2013

 

Dear Sir/ madam

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

 

Thank you for your below email requesting information about interpreters
used by the DSA; we are dealing with your request under the terms of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

Your request was received by the Driving Standards Agency on 17 July
2013.  We will endeavour to provide you with a full response within 20
working days after receipt of your request.

 

If you have any queries about this letter, please do not hesitate to
contact me on the details as above.  Please remember to quote the
reference number above in any future communications.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Information Officer

Driving Standards Agency  |  Information Assurance

 

DSA, The Axis Building, 112 Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham, NG1 6LP

 

The best place to find government services and information is
[1]www.gov.uk

 

Follow us: [2]facebook.com/dsagovuk  |  [3]youtube.com/dsagov  | 
[4]twitter.com/dsagovuk

 

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Driving Standards Agency

4 Attachments

 

Driving Standards Agency

Knowledge and Information Management Team

The Axis Building

112 Upper Parliament Street

NOTTINGHAM NG1 6LP

 

switchboard: (0115) 936 6666

direct line: (0115) 936 6034

fax: (0115) 936 6580

email: [DSA request email]

website: gov.uk/dsa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M Lee

by email: [FOI #169322 email]

 

our ref: IA/00409/13

 

14 August 2013

                                                                       

 

Dear Lee

 

Information requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA)

 

Further to our email of 17 July 2013, I can confirm that we have handled
your request for information about interpreters within the terms of the
FoIA.

 

I attach at Annexes A and B the response to your request.

 

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request, you should
ask for an internal review by contacting Alison Wilson, Information
Compliance Manager, at the above address.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Information Officer

 

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Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
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Dear Driving Standards Agency,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

Thank you for your reply to my Freedom of Information request on Interpreter Standards.

I am writing to clarify some aspects of my FOI request 'DSA interpreters and professional standards' and your response, and to ask that it is dealt with further by the DSA, in the form of an internal review if necessary.

In Annex A of your response you inform me that ‘DSA does not source interpreters but invites applications to join our approved translator list.’

In Annex B of your response you provide a copy of the DSA ‘Translator Process’.

For the avoidance of any doubt, please understand at the outset that ‘interpreter/interpreting’ refers to linguists who translate spoken language (as is the case during the DSA’s theory and practical tests) whereas ‘translator/translation’ refers to the rendition of written text in one language into a different language (which I do not believe is a service used by the DSA).

It would therefore seem, both from your reply and the DSA policy and procedure document you provided to me, that the Driving Standards Agency’s understanding of the difference between interpreting and translation is flawed. Where DSA documents use the word translator, what is actually meant is interpreter.

In response to my third and fifth questions you inform me that no information is held about either Mr Hui or the Urdu translator [sic] under investigation being a member of any of the bodies listed.

I ask you to check this information again. According to your own procedure document, interpreters working for the DSA are required to provide proof of registration with CIOL or NRPSI. The DSA’s procedure, outlined in Annex B, clearly states, under 2d:
2. “Once returned check following:
a. 2 References have been supplied,
b. Section 5 has been signed by an acceptable person,
c. Photo’s are signed and dated and,
d. Proof of IOL or NRPSI has been supplied. (If renewal application proof is not needed).

IOL refers to the Institute of Linguists, now the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL). NRPSI refers to the National Register of Public Service Interpreters.

Your own procedure suggests that even if information about CIOL or NRPSI registration was not included on interpreters’ electronically held records, it will be available in hard copy in the file placed in “the big cabinet”.

I would be grateful if you could double-check your records, including those in the big cabinet, in the light of my observations.

In addition, please provide me with a copy of the application form with covering letter referred to in point 1 of the procedure document in Annex B, since the form is a part of the same procedure.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/d...

Thank you for re-examining my request for information.
Yours faithfully,

M Lee

Driving Standards Agency

2 Attachments

                                                        
                   

Driving Standards Agency

Knowledge and Information Management Team

The Axis Building

112 Upper Parliament Street

NOTTINGHAM NG1 6LP

 

switchboard: (0115) 936 6666

direct line: (0115) 936 6023

fax: (0115) 936 6580

e-mail: [DSA request email]

website: gov.uk/dsa

 

 

 

Mr M Lee

by email: [FOI #169322 email]

 

o/r: IA/00467/13

 

21 August 2013

 

Dear Mr Lee,

 

Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) – Internal Review

 

Thank you for your request for an Internal Review.  Your request was
received on

19 August 2013.

 

We hope to provide you with a full response by 17 September.

 

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me, quoting the
reference number above in any future communications.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

 

Knowledge and Information Management Team

 

 

 

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Driving Standards Agency

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Lee,

 

Please see attached response from our Director of Operations in respect of
your request for an internal review.

 

Alison Wilson |  Information Compliance Manager

Driving Standards Agency  |  Knowledge and Information Management Team
Telephone: 0115 936 6023

 

DSA, The Axis Building, 112 Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham, NG1 6LP

 

The best place to find government services and information is
[1]www.gov.uk

 

Follow us: [2]facebook.com/dsagovuk  |  [3]youtube.com/dsagov  | 
[4]twitter.com/dsagovuk

 

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Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
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References

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Dear Driving Standards Agency,
Dear Mr Carter,

Thank you for your reply dated 10 September concerning the internal review of my request for information.

I am grateful for the additional information you provide, namely: "I can confirm that both individuals were members of the Institute of Linguists, now the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL).”
and:
“It may help if I explain that after a prosecution has been made our process would then be to issue an intelligence notice to the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) informing them of the prosecution. It is then for the NRPSI to decide what action, if any, they choose to take against the individual."

Your response is not entirely clear. May I point out that CIOL and NRPSI are two separate and distinct organisations (although until 31 March 2011 NRPSI was a wholly owned subsidiary of CIOL). I'd be grateful if you would clarify the following:

1. Given that the two interpreters concerned to were members of CIOL, what action, if any, has been or will be taken to inform CIOL?

2. Since you mention NRPSI and the action you would have taken in the event of a prosecution, please inform me whether or not the interpreters concerned were in fact registered with NRPSI, as this information has still not become clear in our exchange of correspondence.

The organisations that regulate the interpreting and translation professions each have their own Code of Conduct and associated disciplinary framework and procedures, but they do rely on end users of language services to report instances of breaches by members in order to maintain high standards among the membership.

It strikes me as odd that the DSA feels it only has a duty to inform the NRPSI (and not other relevant professional organisations to which an individual may belong) and only then in the event of a prosecution. This is my understanding of your response, so please do correct me on any points I have misunderstood.

For my own part, may I point out once again that ‘interpreting’ refers to spoken language whereas ‘translation’ refers to written language. The wording used on the “DSA APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL AS A TRANSLATOR (sic) FOR THE DRIVING THEORY TEST” produced by the DSA’s “Translator (sic) Registration Team” strongly suggests to me that the DSA would benefit from advice from the relevant professional organisations, who will be only to happy to provide it. I would be grateful if you would pass on this information to the appropriate people in your organisation.

Thank you for the information you have provided and I look forward to receiving your further clarification in due course.

Yours sincerely,

M Lee

Driving Standards Agency

2 Attachments

 

Driving Standards Agency

Knowledge and Information Management Team

The Axis Building

112 Upper Parliament Street

NOTTINGHAM NG1 6LP

 

switchboard: (0115) 936 6666

direct line: (0115) 936 6034

fax: (0115) 936 6580

email: [DSA request email]

website: www.gov.uk/dsa

 

 

 

 

                                                                          

                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr M Lee

by email: [FOI #169322 email]

 

our ref: IA/00467/13

 

20 September 2013

 

Dear Mr Lee

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST

 

Thank you for your email of 10 September following our response to your
request for an internal review.  I am currently investigating who we
contact about convictions and once I have received a response from the
relevant business area I shall contact you again; this will be on or
before 8 October.

 

If you have any queries about this letter, please do not hesitate to
contact me on the details as above.  Please remember to quote the
reference number above in any future communications.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

 

Alison Wilson

Information Compliance Manager

 

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Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.

Driving Standards Agency

2 Attachments

                                                                                                                               
Driving Standards Agency

                                                                                                                                           
The Axis Building

                                                                                                                            
112 Upper Parliament Street

                                                                                                                                 
NOTTINGHAM NG1 6LP

                                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                          
switchboard: (0115) 936 6666

                                                                                                                             
direct line: (0115) 936 6060

                                                                                            
                                           fax: (0115) 936 6580

                                                                                                                    
email: [email address]

website:.gov.uk/dsa

 

 

Nick Carter
                                                                                                                                                   

Director of Operations
                                                                                                                                    

 

 

M Lee

by email: [FOI #169322 email]

 

our ref: IA/00467/13

 

3 October 2013

 

 

Dear Mr Lee

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST: INTERNAL REVIEW

 

Thank you for your email of 10 September regarding my response to your
request for an internal review of the handling of your recent FoIA
request.  I would like to apologise for any confusion my response caused.

 

When accepting a new application to become a translator/interpreter for
DSA, we require that proof of membership of either the National Register
of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) or Institute of Linguists (IOL);
now the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL).  To support their
applications, Mr Hui provided a copy of his IOL certificate and the Urdu
interpreter provided a copy of his CIOL certificate.

 

In my email of 6 September, I informed you that once convicted, we send an
intelligence notice to NRPSI, and this was incorrect.  When an interpreter
is convicted of fraud, we will contact any professional bodies of which we
are aware they are a member of.  No action has been taken in respect of
the Urdu interpreter as he has not yet been convicted.  Mr Hui as you are
aware has been convicted and searches were undertaken to establish which
professional bodies he was a member of.  At the time of the conviction, a
search was undertaken which included the registers of interpreters on the
NRPSI and CIOL websites.  Neither NRPSI nor CIOL showed Mr Hui as having
current membership with them so no notice was issued to either. 

 

In respect of Ms Allyson Ng, at the time of her conviction, she was listed
as a member of NRPSI but not CIOL so an intelligence notice was only sent
to NRPSI.  DSA will inform relevant professional organisations of
conviction of an interpreter/translator.  In the case of Mr Hui and Ms Ng,
both were members of the Home Office Panel of Interpreters and have been
removed due to notification from DSA of their convictions.

 

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the Internal Review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

 

            Information Commissioner’s Office

            Wycliffe House

            Water Lane

            Wilmslow

            Cheshire

            SK9 5AF

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Nick Carter

Director of Operations

 

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Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.