North Wales MS Mark Isherwood’s motion proposing a British Sign Language (BSL) Wales Bill was passed in the Senedd this afternoon.
Thirty-eight Members of the Senedd voted in favour of his proposals, which aim to improve access to education, health, public services, support services and the workplace in BSL, 12 abstained and none voted against.
In February 2021 the previous Senedd voted in favour of Mr Isherwood’s preceding proposal for a Bill.
In today’s Member’s Legislative Proposal BSL Bill debate, Mr Isherwood again emphasised why an updated Bill is needed.
He said:
“With members of all Parties voting in favour of the motion that day (in 2021), demonstrating a clear appetite for such BSL legislation across the Senedd Chamber, and with D/deaf people and communities across Wales continuing to ask me to bring forward a BSL Bill in Wales, I am keen to continue to pursue this and seek your support.
“I was delighted when Labour MP Rosie Cooper introduced her British Sign Language Bill in the UK Parliament, co-sponsored by Conservative Lord Holmes of Richmond, when this secured the UK Government's support, and when it was passed in March and gained Royal Assent in April. The UK Act recognises British Sign Language as a language of England, Wales and Scotland; requires the Secretary of State to report on the promotion and facilitation of the use of British Sign Language by ministerial government departments; and requires guidance to be issued in relation to British Sign Language.
“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, it specifically excludes reporting on matters devolved to Scotland and Wales. The Bill does not extend the reporting or guidance duty to the Governments of Wales and Scotland. Therefore, my motion today regarding the need for a Welsh specific BSL Act also incorporates this.
“As the BDA (British Deaf Association) state: ‘BSL is not just a language; it is also a gateway to learning, and the means whereby Deaf people survive and flourish in a hearing world’. Only yesterday, RNID Cymru told me: that they support this proposal for a British Sign Language Wales Bill, that ‘now that both Westminster and Holyrood have passed BSL bills, we hope that this Bill would complement those pieces of legislation and help to improve the provision of BSL across Wales’, and that ‘the policy objectives of the proposed Bill are positive and going beyond the Westminster BSL Act by including a commitment to produce reports every 5 years, which will provide valuable insight into the progress of implementing the Bill’.
“In accordance with the Social Model of Disability, this motion proposes a Bill seeking both to ‘remove the barriers that exist for deaf people and their families in education, health, public services, support services and in the workplace’, and to extend to Welsh Ministers duties on devolved matters equivalent to those applying to UK Ministers in England. For reasons of morality, practicality and equality, I therefore urge all Members to vote in favour of this motion.”
Responding to the Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt, when concluding the debate, Mr Isherwood highlighted the shortage of BSL interpreters.
He said:
“I remember, during my first term you had a programme of BSL interpreters, and a lot more people were brought in and trained up to a high level, but it's not working now. There's huge shortages, exemplified by the fact that, last week, I asked the Senedd to provide a simultaneous translation for this debate. And I know from the communications that I've had that there's a lot of very upset Deaf people outside this Senedd that wanted to follow this debate live who feel that we have breached our duties under the Social Model of Disability and the Equality Act 2010 to them, and they will have to tune in separately later to see if they can look at a subsequent translation.”
Speaking after his motion was passed, Mr Isherwood said:
“I am absolutely delighted that Members supported my proposals today. As was stated during the debate, Deaf communities use BSL as their main means of communication and, for Deaf communities, this is an important piece of legislation. However, I will now need to win both a future Ballot for Member Bills and then a Senedd vote to introduce a Bill.”