Improving ALS faces daily checks

The Saddleworth company tasked with providing translators to courts and tribunals will be monitored daily after failing to meet targets, the Ministry of Justice said today.

Applied Language Solutions (ALS) was 8 per cent off target from January to April this year after recently landing the contract.

ALS was set a 98 per cent success rate — measured on an interpreter turning up to the job and completing it.

MoJ figures released today showed the firm had increased its success rate from 65 per cent in February to 90 per cent in April.

An MoJ spokesman said: “We continue to monitor performance on a daily basis.

“However, the contract is now delivering an effective service and we expect to see improvements in the coming months.”

The news comes after the Chronicle reported, yesterday, that the Solicitor General had rejected calls for an investigation into the company following Labour criticism in the Commons of its services.

The MoJ said the definitions of whether interpreters completed or not were decided by the company itself.

A full version of this story appears in the print and digital editions of friday’s Chronicle