Second question was related to the need for Hartlepool Council to translate documents into 10 languages.
The only figures the Mayor could produce were from 2002 showing that there was indeed as small number of residents of the town who did not have English as their first language. Unfortunately there was no way to demonstrate one way or the other that these individuals needed translations or that they would be disadvantaged by the absence of such translations.
The Labour government just last week adopted the UKIP Policy that translation should not be provided as a matter of routine. Translations should only be carried out where need could be demonstrated and where it could be proven that individuals would be disadvantaged by the lack of translation. Failure to learn English is now accepted as the biggest single barrier to integration and so excessive translation actually makes the problem worse.
Unfortunately no debate or discussion was allowed so the matter ended there, FOR NOW!
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