Turkish Interpreter

I am writing to make the following request for information pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 relating to the use of face-to-face interpreters supplied to Cheshire constabulary by Prestige Network Limited and Applied Language Solutions Ltd. My request for information is follows:

1. How many interpreting assignments requiring a Turkish interpreter were carried out by interpreters supplied by Prestige Network between 1st January 2008 and 31st March 2009?
2. How many of these assignments were carried out by an NRPSI registered interpreter?
3. How many occasions did Prestige Network use Mr Mesud Salih?  (This interpreter was supplied by Prestige Network for an interview with Mahit Aslan at Western Custody Suite in Blacon on the 14th July 2008. It was subsequently discovered at Chester Crown Court that the interpreter failed adequately to interpret the police caution and Mr Aslan was interviewed in breach of PACE 1984. The information I am requesting is therefore in the public interest and necessary for an investigation into this matter).
4. How many interpreting assignments have been carried out in Cheshire Constabulary since the 1st April 2009?
5. How many interpreters supplied by Applied Language Solutions have been on the NRPSI? Please note that I am requesting only information relating to the NRPSI status of interpreters supplied by ALS and not those who have been booked directly by Cheshire constabulary.
6. How many assignments requiring Polish interpreters have been carried out in Cheshire since the 1st April 2009?
7. How many of these assignments were carried out by an interpreter from ALS?
8. How many of the assignments carried out by Polish interpreters supplied by ALS have been carried out by interpreters registered on the NRPSI?

In accordance with section 1(1) (b) of the Act our response is provided below;

Question 1

This information is reasonably accessible to by other means and is therefore exempt information in accordance with section 21 (1) of the Act.

Please see the disclosure log entry request 1840

Previous Disclosure

Question 2

The information to answer this question is not held, however we can supply you with information relating to the qualifications of all the interpreters used. Please see the attached Excel docs.

Interpreters Qualifications Jan 08 - Dec 08

Interpreters Qualifications Jan 09 - Mar 09

Question 3

We do not hold that information. Only Prestige would know how many times they used the person named.

I suspect you meant to ask how many times Cheshire Constabulary used the person named whether supplied by Prestige or otherwise.

This part of your request for information has now been considered and I am not obliged to supply the information you have requested. Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Cheshire Constabulary, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you with a notice which a) states that fact, b) specifies the exemption in question and c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

The information is in fact relating to a named individual and is prima facie his personal data

Section 40(2) Any information to which a request for information relates is also exempt information if -

(a) it constitutes personal data which does not fall within subsection (1), and

(b) either the first or the second condition below is satisfied

(3) The first condition is:-

(a) in a case where the information falls within any of paragraphs (a) to (d) of the definition of "data" in section 1(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998, that the disclosure of the information to a member of the public otherwise than under this Act would contravene:-

(i) any of the data protection principles, or

(ii) section 10 of that Act (right to prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress), and

(b) in any other case, that the disclosure of the information to a member of the public otherwise than under this Act would contravene any of the data protection principles if the exemptions in section 33A (1) of the Data Protection Act 1998 (which relates to manual data held by public authorities) were disregarded.

(4) The second condition is that by virtue of any provision of Part IV of the Data Protection Act 1998 the information is exempt from section 7(1)(c) of that Act (data subject's right of access to personal data). The information you have requested is the personal data of a third party and to release personal data would breach the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 and would be unlawful.

This is an absolute exemption.

Question 4

51

Question 5

Face to Face Interpreting NRPSI 34%

Question 6 and 7

17

Question 8

This information is not held.