To facilitate public scrutiny and public reporting, local authorities should not conduct their meetings in foreign languages.

More information can be found in the ‘Open and accountable local government: plain English guide’.

The detail of day-to-day activities of ministerial appointees and their engagement with the local authority in intervention is not routinely reported to ministers, and I am not in a position to comment on their observations.

The Envoys are continuing to work comprehensively within the Council, acting as advisers, mentors and monitors to oversee the Council’s improvement journey and ensure compliance with its Best Value Duty.

Local democracy depends on meetings being open, transparent and accessible. Councillors and mayors, as elected representatives, are expected to communicate clearly so that local authority decisions can be understood, scrutinised and reported on by the public. The government guidance, Open and accountable local government: plain English guide, promotes the use of clear language and recommends that formal local authority meetings should not be conducted in foreign languages to facilitate public scrutiny.

Qualification for local government membership is already set out in legislation. Local authorities are independent of central government and, subject to the Local Government Act 1972, are best placed to regulate their own proceedings through standing orders and to provide training for members where appropriate. The public’s ability to hold councils to account relies on decisions being taken at local level.

The Social Cohesion Measurement Framework will be available to local government, civil society and impact investors across England, to help them identify emerging tensions. Work on the framework is underway and we will publish fuller details in due course.

The ability to use and understand our shared language is a fundamental basis for participating in society and an expectation of all who wish to call the UK home. English language proficiency is a key facilitator of cohesive communities, and proficiency provides opportunity for individuals, including improved social connections, participation, access to employment and access to essential services.

A decision to grant asylum is based on whether an individual is at risk of persecution in their home country. In compliance with our international obligations, this does not take into account whether or not they can speak English.

As outlined in Protecting What Matters, this government has already strengthened English language requirements for people subject to immigration control, including those applying for settlement. We will also review English language provision to identify best practice, and explore how innovation, including digital delivery, can increase the numbers able to speak English, with conclusions published in Autumn 2026.

Since August 2025, there has been no three-year residency requirement to access Adult Skills Fund provision. A correction to PQ 110385 was issued on 31 March.

The Government has set out its commitment to supporting successful integration, as highlighted in the Immigration White Paper. Being able to communicate effectively in English is essential for accessing public services, participating in civic life, securing employment, and building strong connections within local communities. Without sufficient language skills, individuals may face barriers to integration and increased risk of social isolation.

There is no specific budget for English Language Support.

information on suppliers is available from https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/20879758-e64d-4486-a2cd-c234340afe49

Successfully integrating refugees remains a Government priority. Those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK have access to mainstream services to support them to build independent, fulfilling lives and contribute meaningfully to the UK economy.

Asylum seekers whose claims have been outstanding for six months or more are eligible for the same skills funding as other residents in England. Crucially, they are exempt from the standard three-year qualifying period for accessing Adult Skills Fund support, which includes fully funded English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learning.

The English language requirements will not apply to asylum seekers. As a signatory to the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), we are legally obliged to consider all asylum claims admitted to the UK asylum system and to consider people’s human rights in all circumstances where a person would be removed from the UK. This is irrespective of a person’s ability to speak English, and it ensures that we do not remove anyone to their own or any other country where they would face persecution or serious harm.

Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system is carefully considered on its individual merits. Protection is normally granted where a claimant has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention, or a claimant faces a real risk of serious harm. Those found not to need protection are refused. Once appeal rights are exhausted, they are expected to leave the UK. Otherwise, they will be liable for enforcement action and removal.

English language proficiency is a requirement across a range of other immigration routes. Full details, including the list of routes and acceptable evidence, is available in the official guidance on Assessing the English Language requirement (accessible version) - GOV.UK.

The Ministry of Justice has a statutory duty to provide Language Services to enable access to justice for users for whom English is not their first language. Language Service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.

The services provided under the Ministry of Justice’s contracts include face-to-face, video, and telephone interpretation for spoken foreign languages, as well as written translation and transcription.

In financial year 2024/25, the Ministry of Justice spent £36,920,721 providing these services via contract.

To date, in financial year 2025/26, the Ministry of Justice spent £20,478,950 providing these services via contract. Expenditure to date is comparable with the same point as last financial year, so we anticipate that overall spend for 2025–26 will be broadly consistent with expenditure in the previous financial year.

The following table shows the cost of providing English language interpretation and translation services for the 2024/25 financial year and the 2025/26 financial year to date:

The information on actual spend is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

Data on English language proficiency falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Census 2021 provides datasets detailing population and proficiency in English. These datasets can be downloaded from nomis. Nomis is a service run on behalf of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) by the University of Durham publishing statistics related to population, society and the labour market at national, regional and local levels, including data from current and previous censuses. Data is freely available. Alternatively, you can obtain census data from the ONS.

The department is supporting cross-government work to invest in ongoing integration support, including English language training, employment programmes, and social integration initiatives, to ensure that people can fully participate in society well beyond their initial arrival. For example, the department provided £11.5 million of funding for English language courses and employment support for up to 12,500 Ukrainians across the UK through the ‘STEP Ukraine’ programme. We have now launched a follow-up ‘STEP’ programme of £4.2m (excl. VAT) for English language courses and employment support for Ukrainians and Hong Kong British Nationals. The aim is for the programme to reach 4,000 participants.

The below answer refers to funding made by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government only. The provisions described are in addition to what other departments may offer.

Councils receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. Councils can use this funding flexibly which could include supporting guests to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision. Homes for Ukraine funding allocations are published on gov.uk here.

The department provided £11.5 million of funding for English language courses and employment support for up to 12,500 Ukrainians across the UK through the ‘STEP Ukraine’ programme. The department has also allocated £3 million in grant funding to Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs) in England to strengthen the capacity of ESOL teachers and expand community-based English language support for eligible Afghans, Ukrainians, and Hong Kong BN(O)s until March 2026. This builds on the £1 million SMP ESOL capacity grant delivered in 2023–24, which trained over 350 teachers and supported more than 2,500 resettled learners

The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Welcome Programme, which is in its fifth year of funding, provides demand led funding to councils in England which can be accessed to cover the costs of English language courses. In 2024-25, the department allocated £4.5 million to councils. Continued funding is available in 2025-26.