Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what criteria are used by the British Embassy in Tehran to compile and approve the list of translators and interpreters in Iran.

​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has standard criteria for the compilation of local service provider lists, including those of translators and interpreters. The criteria are global and not country specific. The following information is requested from all providers in order to be considered for inclusion on a service provider list:

- Whether they have English speaking staff available;

- Whether they are affiliated to the local regulatory authority or body;

- Whether they have had experience of representing British nationals before;

- Whether their staff speak any other languages;

- What areas or regions of the country they provide services for;

- Whether they are able to take instructions by e-mail or fax, or only face-to-face;

- Whether they provide information about their costs, in writing.