Why Capita will never make a profit
The FOI response raises a few issues. First of all, Capita can NEVER make a profit in respect of foreign language interpreters, particularly since the MOJ has now confirmed that Capita does not get paid travel expenses. Capita should have realised by now that Wheeldon constructed the contract in a way, which makes it unworkable. The only way ALS workers can make a little bit of money is by taking jobs a long way away and claiming travel time and mileage.
I have seen Wheeldon being called an "entrepreneur" but he doesn't seem to know anything about business whatsoever. Had he offered a reasonable minimum payment, local interpreters might have been happy to accept assignments. By paying peanuts instead of a minimum payment but increasing the mileage paid to 40p, Wheeldon has made sure that the contract can never work. Capita must know this by now.
The question is, have they been offered another lucrative government contract to compensate them for the continuous losses incurred by the ALS contract? Another observation: there seems to be a massive difference between foreign language interpreters' and BSLs' fees. The FOI confirms that the MOJ expects BSLs to be paid travel time and makes a provision for it. Is this blatant discrimination? Is anything being done about it? It seems totally unfair.
