I was delighted that the Second Reading of the British Language Private Members’ Bill passed with the full support of the House and the backing of the Government. I would like to pay tribute to all those campaigners who have contributed to the success of this Bill. The Bill will now continue its progress through the House and, hopefully, into law.
Like many people across the country, I was very impressed by the success of Rose Ayling-Ellis on Strictly Come Dancing and the way she raised awareness of the importance of British Sign Language.
It is important that we ensure neither deafness nor being hard of hearing is a barrier to participating in society and, therefore, I welcome the Government’s commitment to recognising BSL as a language of Great Britain.
The BSL Bill will place a duty on Government departments to report on their use and facilitation of BSL at least every three years as well as a requirement on the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to issue guidance to departments on the promotion and facilitation of BSL.
These changes will make a significant contribution towards levelling up this country for disabled people.