To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent by the court system on interpreters in the latest period for which figures are available. (134420)

The information requested is not collected centrally (and could be provided only at disproportionate cost) for interpreters used in the Crown court and criminal hearings in the magistrates courts. In each of the last five years the costs of interpreters for civil and family hearings are as follows:

Changes to the financial systems used to pay interpreters have taken effect in the last couple of years and the figures quoted are therefore approximate. Her Majesty’s Courts Service is currently undertaking some analysis of interpreters booked in the last year to try to identify trends in the increase of bookings and subsequent cost.