Over a year on from his motion proposing a British Sign Language (BSL) Bill for Wales being passed in the Senedd, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has called for the Welsh Government to introduce the Bill this Senedd term.
The motion, introduced by Mr Isherwood on February 24th 2021 calling on the Senedd to note “a proposal for a Bill that would make provision to encourage the use of British Sign Language (BSL) in Wales, and improve access to education and services in BSL”, was passed with 37 in favour, 15 abstentions, and none against.
As members of all Parties voted in favour of the motion, demonstrating a clear appetite for such BSL legislation across the Senedd Chamber, Mr Isherwood is keen to pursue this on behalf of the D/deaf community and in Tuesday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, when discussing the Legislative Consent Motion on the UK British Sign Language Bill, called on the Welsh Government to introduce the Bill during this Senedd term, noting that his repeated bids for a Private Member's Bill in the Senedd have not yet been successful.
He said:
“My motion noted that my proposed Bill would ‘ensure that the deaf community and people with hearing loss have a voice in the design and delivery of services to ensure they meet the needs of service users’. Scores of Deaf people and Deaf-led groups across Wales contacted me in support of this, telling me that, although the Welsh Government was developing a new BSL Charter for Wales, my planned Bill was an enormous step forward. Only one person wrote in opposition.
“I was, therefore, delighted to hear Labour MP Rosie Cooper being interviewed on the radio last year about her British Sign Language Bill in the UK Parliament, co-sponsored by Conservative Lord Holmes of Richmond. Following its First Reading on 16th June 2021, the British Sign Language Bill, to give BSL full legal status and Deaf people access to essential services and information in their first language, was given an unopposed Second Reading in the House of Commons on 28th January, after securing the UK Government's support, and was passed after its Third Reading on 18th March.
“Well, according to the 2020 'Independent Review of BSL Provision for Adults in Wales', around 7,500 people use BSL in Wales, including around 4,000 who are D/deaf. And 151,000, including over 87,000 deaf people for whom BSL is their preferred language, use the language across the UK. Although the UK Bill creates a duty for the UK Government to prepare and publish BSL reports describing what Government departments have done to promote the use of BSL in their communications with the public, the UK Bill specifically excludes reporting on matters devolved to Scotland and Wales. The Bill does not extend the reporting or guidance duty to the Devolved Administrations, i.e. Governments, of Scotland and Wales.”
He added:
“In response to my written question on what plans the Minister has to introduce a BSL Bill in Wales, the Minister for Social Justice said on 11th March, ‘The British Deaf Association (BDA) were commissioned to undertake an audit of Welsh Government’s BSL policies and service provision with a view to signing up to their BSL Charter. The audit resulted in a Report providing high level recommendations. The BDA and officials are discussing the findings and will finalise the Report’, and, key to this, 'Consideration of the need for specific Welsh legislation will form part of these discussions’.
“Therefore, the Welsh Government could bring forward primary legislation, possibly similar to the Scottish British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 or the Act currently being considered in Northern Ireland.
“I contacted the Chair of the BDA and asked them about that statement, and he's told me today:
‘We worked hard engaging with the Welsh Government Departments and Welsh Deaf Community members. Welsh Government made some comments on the final draft BSL Audit report and so, we will correct and resubmit the final BSL Audit report shortly. We strongly believe that the Welsh Deaf Community wants a BSL (Welsh) Act, so it would be marvellous if they could find out from the Northern Ireland Department for Communities what progress they're making on the BSL and ISL—Irish Sign Language—legislation there. BDA Wales would really like to continue working with Mark, other MSs and Welsh Government officials to consider the possibility of introducing a cross-party BSL (Welsh) Bill'.
“Will the Minister therefore state whether the Welsh Government will support a BSL (Wales) Bill during this Senedd term, when, as I now know they will, the BDA will recommend to you that you do so?”