COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Staff in all publicly funded jobs who interact with members of the public will have to show proficiency in the English language under a Labour government, Ed Miliband will announce on Friday.



Outlining a major initiative to improve social integration in Britain, the Labour leader will say that every citizen should know how to speak English.

Miliband will make proficiency in the English language a key priority for a future Labour government, which would seek to achieve what he calls a "connected nation" rather than a "segregated one".

In a speech in London on Friday morning, Miliband will outline a three-point plan:

• English language teaching for newcomers to Britain will be prioritised ahead of funding for what he regards as non-essential written translation materials.

• A requirement that exists in many professions for employees to have English language proficiency will be extended to all publicly funded jobs in which staff interact with members of the public.

• Schools and parents will be encouraged to share responsibility for helping foreign-born children by including statements on English language learning within Home School Agreements.

Miliband will say: "We can only converse if we can speak the same language. So if we are going to build One Nation, we need to start with everyone in Britain knowing how to speak English. We should expect that of people that come here. We will work together as a nation far more effectively when we can always talk together."