Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Crown Commercial Service's framework agreement for the provision of language services (a) only supplies communication and language professionals working with deaf and deafblind people who meet the standards set by the National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD), (b) contains terms and conditions that he considers are likely to attract qualified and NRCPD-registered communication and language professionals working with deaf and deafblind people and (c) at the tendering stage, does not give greater priority to cost than quality considerations in relation to decisions about the letting of contracts and provides a level playing field for small and medium-sized enterprises with larger firms.

The Crown Commercial Service’s Language Services Framework Agreement (RM1092) will provide a standardised contracting route that enables procurement authorities to engage British Sign Language translators to deliver high-quality and cost-effective services that maintain national interpreting standards.

The minimum qualifications for British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters employed through the framework shall be those listed at http://www.nrcpd.org.uk and they must be registered with the National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people, (NRCPD), or the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI).