Member

Secondly, the reason I think that this right needs to be spelled out in the Bill is twofold. First, unless the Minister can give me a categorical assurance that my worries are unfounded—believe me, I would be delighted if he could—I am concerned that the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 might not, in this context, offer protection of the right to interpreting and translation services. In an answer to an Oral Question on that subject in 2023, the then Minister, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Bellamy, advised that there would be no adverse effect on this right as it was enshrined in common law and the ECHR. However, I would like to be reassured that subsequent legislation, such as this Bill, is also covered. In any case, I want to see those two vital words—“professional” and “qualified”—spelled out as part of the right to which people are entitled.