HC Deb 06 July 1987 vol 119 cc40-2W
Mr. Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of (a) Asian men and (b) Asian women (i) in Leicester and (ii) in the United Kingdom speak little or no English.

Mr. Portillo

I regret that these figures are not available.

Mr. Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many interpreters are available in offices of his Department (a) in Leicester and (b) in the United Kingdom in areas where there is a significant ethnic minority population.

Mr. Portillo

DHSS offices do not employ interpreters as such, but most offices with catchment areas containing significant ethnic minority populations do have staff ready to use skills in ethnic minority languages to help claimants who have little or no English and have no one to help them. No record is maintained of numbers who do this. Leicester offices have staff proficient in Asian languages and ready to help in this way.

Mr. Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what leaflets other than the "Which Benefit?" guide are available to ethnic minority claimants seeking to exercise their rights in respect of social security benefits.

Mr. Portillo

"Which Benefit?" is the only social security leaflet nationally produced in Asian languages.

Mr. Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to ensure the effective distribution of information concerning benefits translated into ethnic minority languages.

Mr. Portillo

The leaflet "Which Benefit?", which describes the whole range of social security benefits is published in six Asian languages. These are Bengali, Chinese, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. It is planned to produce a Turkish version in 1988. There is insufficient demand for other forms or leaflets in these or other minority languages to justify national production.

On their own initiative a few local and regional offices have produced additional advice and information in ethnic minority languages. Local information officers continuously liaise with ethnic minority communities to supplement this.

Mr. Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to ensure training for appropriate staff of his Department concerning the need for proper explanation to people from ethnic minorities who have language difficulties concerning their rights.

Mr. Portillo

The Department's staff training branch is currently developing a training course to be entitled "Service to the Multi-Racial Community". In addition to focusing the attention of staff on attitudes towards people from ethnic minorities and discussing racism, the course, of two-day's duration, will examine the problems of communication encountered by people of minority backgrounds, especially those of Afro-Caribbean and Asian origin.

The course which in its development has built on the experience the Department gained from earlier training exercises in this field, will be available in the autumn of 1987. Whilst no language training as such is provided for our staff, financial assistance is readily available under the further education and external training schemes for those staff who wish to further their personal interest or development by learning a modern language, as it is, of course, for a wide range of other subjects.

Clients with little or no command of English are encouraged to enlist the help of friends, relatives or voluntary agencies in pursuing their claims. Many DHSS offices whose catchment areas contain sizeable ethnic minorities do maintain lists of staff willing and able to use second language skills to help claimants in difficulties.