It was a great pleasure to speak in the debate, earlier today, on the British Sign Language Bill, which has been put forward by Rosie Cooper MP. It was great to listen and learn from her - as a passionate advocate with enormous experience and expertise on this topic.
This Bill is important because BSL is important. It is the primary language of 90,000 residents in the country and is used by 150,000 people. Should BSL users have the same right of access to government services as everyone else? The obvious answer is 'yes', and so I wholeheartedly welcome this Bill.
It is 19 years since BSL was recognised as a language, so I want to take this opportunity that is presented by this Bill to celebrate this small but important step in the support of BSL users.
David Buxton, the Chair of the British Deaf Association, said that deaf people in Britain never gave up hope that their language would one day be recognised in law but also protected and promoted so that deaf people are finally able to access information and services and achieve their potential on an equal basis with fellow residents. I am very proud to support this Bill.
