While legislation on the language abilities of foreign nationals working in the UK already exists, the new provisions represent a coordinated approach to enforcing fluent English across the public sector.
Under the new legislation, public sector organisations will be required to ensure staff have language skills equivalent to GCSE grade C or above. This requirement could increase depending on the nature of the role and profession.
A new code of practice will be introduced to support the legislation following consultation. The NHS, police force and state-funded schools are among the public sector organisations who will be subject to the new code and responsible for ensuring that their employees are able to communicate effectively with customers.