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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: FOI-1026-2023
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 8th November 2023.
Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in providing the response to your request and for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Please find your questions and the Warwickshire Police responses set out below.
1.1 What percentage of the resident population in the area that your organisation serves are non-native English speakers?
Q1 & Q1.1 response: Please be advised that this information can be found within the 2021 census information available in the public domain at the below link:
https://data.warwickshire.gov.uk/publications-census/
Warwickshire facts and figures - E10000031 - ONS
1.2 Does your organisation predict that the number of non-native English speaker living in the area that you serve will increase, reduce or stay the same in the next 5 years?
Q1.2 response: I must advise that your request is not valid under the Freedom of information Act 2000 (“the Act”) as it does not fulfil the requirement of Section 8, in that it is not a request for specific recorded information held. Please be advised that the Act only extends to requests for recorded information and does not require public authorities to answer questions if this would mean creating new information, or giving an opinion or judgement that is not already recorded.
Q2 response: Yes
2.1 If your organisation hires professional translation or interpreting services, for what type of material do you use these services? (E.g., do you hire professional translation services to translate website content, correspondence, legal documents? Do you hire interpreting services for meetings, interviews, anything else?)
Q2.1 response: Translation/interpretation services are used for a number of reasons including booking in, managing and interviewing suspects in custody (including questions around personal information, risk assessments, Inspector reviews, charging, bail, release etc) and also interviewing and taking statements from victims and witnesses with victim/witness care. They are also used to translate documentation not written in English and may also be used to translate video or other evidence where, for example, there is audio of non-English language. The use is not limited, ultimately the services are used where there is a requirement to formally capture the translation process.
2.2 If your organisation hires professional translation or interpreting services, can you please provide figures for how much was spent by your organisation on these services and what percentage of your total expenditure this amounted to for the last 4 financial years?
Financial year |
Translation & interpreting expenditure |
% of total expenditure |
2018/19: |
£ |
% |
2019/20: |
£ |
% |
2020/21: |
£ |
% |
2021/22: |
£ |
% |
Q2.2 response:
Financial Year |
Total |
2018/19 |
£6,708.23 |
2019/20 |
£8,095.84 |
2020/21 |
£86,545.05 |
2021/22 |
£91,323.93 |
Grand Total |
£192,673.05 |
2.3 Does your organisation predict that the percentage of spending on translation and interpreting services will increase, reduce or stay the same in the next 5 years?
Q2.3 response: I must advise that your request is not valid under the Freedom of information Act 2000 (“the Act”) as it does not fulfil the requirement of Section 8, in that it is not a request for specific recorded information held. Please be advised that the Act only extends to requests for recorded information and does not require public authorities to answer questions if this would mean creating new information, or giving an opinion or judgement that is not already recorded.
Q3 response: No
3.1 If machine translation is used in your organisation, under what circumstances is it used? (Please specify by whom, in which context, using which tools, and the reason of use.)
4.1 If your organisation follows a formal policy for the use of machine translation, can you attach a copy of such policy to your response and/or provide a link to where it can be accessed?
5.1 If your organisation has carried out a risk assessment of the use of machine translation, please can you specify the risks your organisation identified?
6.1 If you have an established line of accountability, can you explain how this guides response procedures to a possible negative outcome from the use of machine translation?
7.1 If training is provided on the use of machine translation in your organisation, can you please provide an overview of the training offered?
Q3.1, Q4, Q4.1, Q5, Q5.1, Q6, Q6.1, Q7 & Q7.1 response: Not applicable
Q8 response: The Warwickshire Police Corporate Communications Department are guided by operational policing teams who provide details of the cultural make-up of the communities with whom they are trying to engage and identify where there are barriers to people understanding communications produced in English.
Using this insight, we have re-produced particular communications in other languages including hate crime reporting posters in Ukrainian and Russian, burglary prevention in Urdu and signposting to recruitment opportunities in the most common languages, other than English, according to the 2021 Warwickshire Census.
I can also advise that the force has five PCSOs dedicated to engaging with seldom-heard communities to better understand how we can support them and their communities. This includes understanding how the force can bridge communication challenges through, for example, providing information in different languages.
Q9 response: The Procurement Manager oversees the contract and can be contacted at [email protected]
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible.
Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or email the Freedom of Information Unit quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB