To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision his Department has made for interpretation services for foreign national prisoners in 2008 and 2009 to date; and with reference to the answer of 10 January 2008, Official Report, column 765W, on prisoners: foreigners, what expenditure his Department has incurred on the provision of such services in each month since January 2008. (277318)

In November 2007, the Northern Ireland Prison Service awarded contracts for face-to-face interpreting and written translation for foreign national prisoners. A telephone interpreting service is also available.

The following table shows the expenditure on language services in each month since January 2008: