Thank you for contacting me about making British Sign Language (BSL) an official language of the UK. My name was not selected in the Private Member’s Bill ballot, however I did want to address this important issue.
I am very clear that deafness or being hard of hearing should not be a barrier to participating in society, and I understand your desire to see BSL as an official language of the UK. I have ensured that ministers are aware of calls from people from all over the country for this change to be made.
It is clear to me that the Government and the public sector should lead by example in ensuring that important communication is accessible to all. That is why I am glad that public health information has been available in many alternative formats including BSL during the Covid-19 outbreak. Covid-19 press briefings with BSL have been available on the Downing Street social media channel and the BBC News channel has provided live BSL interpretation for the briefings.
BSL, more broadly, may also be offered in schools as part of the school curriculum. I understand that the Department for Education is working to develop draft content for a potential GCSE in BSL and that a consultation on the content is due to published this year.
