Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) has criticised the failings of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in procuring translation services from Applied Language Solutions (ALS).

The MoJ were reported to have failed to have heeded advice from interpreters and trade bodies as well as failing to effectively assess service level requirements.

Labour MP Margaret Hodge, Chairman of PAC, said: “The ministry had been warned that ALS was too small to shoulder a contract worth more than £1 million, but went ahead and handed them an annual £42 million contract covering the whole country.”