Call for Investigation into Interpreters' Pay

That the Parliament notes that the courts, police and NHS, among others, are public services where interpreters work on a daily basis, assisting citizens and visitors to Scotland who do not have English as a first language; understands that interpreters are paid via agencies that pay an hourly rate but no travel time or travelling expenses, leaving interpreters often receiving less than the national minimum wage once public transport costs are taken into account; believes that interpreters are essential workers who provide a very important and valuable service and should be regarded as important partners in the delivery of public services and justice; understands that these workers are often not briefed before cases, leaving them unsure, vulnerable and put into tense and unpredictable situations, that they have to work across many agencies at the same time on flexible arrangements, with no guarantee of work, are without basic employment rights and often dismissed with minimal pay of one hour where cases have been cancelled by the client, leaving them living hand to mouth, and calls on the Scottish Government to launch an immediate investigation into the work of interpreters, the contracts they are employed under and the pay and conditions they work to.