Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2026 to Question 103826 on BSL Assurance Suppliers, which Deaf-led agencies and language service providers are available to engage through Crown Commercial Service's digital purchasing frameworks.
Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Deaf-led BSL suppliers play an important role in supporting Deaf communities right across the country.
Customers can access BSL services through agreements RM1557.14 G-Cloud 14 and RM6302 Language Services.
CCS has approved funding to support an ‘AI for BSL’ project, led by the Royal National Institute of the Deaf (RNID) partnership with ScienceWise. The initiative ensures that Deaf communities can directly influence the development of future tools to guarantee their safe and effective application.
Asked by: Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 91062, what projects involving the use of AI to create accessible content with regards to British Sign Language have been approved at what level of funding by (a) UK Research & Innovation, (b) Innovate UK, (c) British Technology Investments and (d) the Government Office for Science.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), including Innovate UK, has a portfolio of over £1 billion in AI research and innovation, with a further £1.6 billion allocated across 2026/27 to 2029/30. UKRI’s AI investments build broad, foundational technologies that could extend to BSL applications even when not explicitly stated.
Details of UKRI investments in AI technologies that could be used to create accessible content with regards to British Sign Language (BSL) can be found on GTR, which provides information on all UKRI-funded research and innovation projects. These include an £8.45m investment in SignGPT, which aims to build the first generative predictive transformer for sign language and has direct involvement from Deaf organisations and community partners.
There are currently no projects approved by British Technology Investments and the Government Office for Science.
Asked by: Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 91065, for what identified needs is she considering whether Artificial Intelligence approaches to British Sign Language might form a solution.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is currently assessing what artificial intelligence tools have been developed in this space. Once we have assessed the landscape, we will reach out to relevant stakeholders to discuss whether the tools we have identified can solve those problems.
Asked by: Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 91065, what engagement she has undertaken with BSL signers regarding Artificial Intelligence approaches to British Sign Language.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We are currently researching the artificial intelligence tools that are available on the market and what they can provide for users. Once this research has concluded, we will engage with British Sign Language signers which will help inform next steps.
Asked by: Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2025 to question 91186, what steps he will take to engage with BSL signers to assess the suitability of products which use Artificial Intelligence approaches to British Sign Language.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is aware of a number of emerging products that use artificial intelligence (AI) to support translation into British Sign Language (BSL). While the Department and its arm’s‑length bodies are not currently developing or deploying such tools, any AI‑enabled BSL product proposed for use in the National Health Service would be subject to the medical device regulatory framework and will be assessed to determine whether it falls with the scope of regulations. These regulations are underpinned by rigorous standards established by bodies including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Health Research Authority, and the Care Quality Commission. These agencies ensure that AI technologies are safe, effective, and cost-effective within healthcare settings.
For any BSL products that use AI, meaningful engagement with BSL signers and Deaf communities is critical. This includes ensuring that proposed products provide a high quality service, meet communication needs identified through the Accessible Information Standard, and reflect the lived experience of BSL users. NHS England continues to work with stakeholders, including BSL users, providers, and representative groups, to improve accessibility and to understand where emerging technologies may safely and effectively support communication.
Asked by: Helen Grant (Conservative - Maidstone and Malling)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which recommendations of the Government’s British Sign Language Advisory Board he will implement to ensure the NHS is accessible to deaf and blind people.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Equality Act 2010, health and care organisations have a legal duty to make changes in their approach and provision to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled people as they are for everybody else.
All National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard, which details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of people with a disability, impairment or sensory loss, including Deaf and blind people.
We welcome the British Sign Language Advisory Board’s report, Locked out: Exclusion of deaf and deafblind BSL users from health and social care in the UK. We will carefully consider its recommendations, including how, in the context of our work on the 10-Year Health Plan and reform of adult social care, we can improve the experiences of Deaf and blind people when accessing health and care services.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how reasonable adjustments are assessed and implemented for disabled claimants undergoing migration to Universal Credit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that the migration to Universal Credit works as smoothly as possible for all individuals, including those with disabilities. We recognise that some claimants may require additional support to make and maintain their claim, and we provide a range of reasonable adjustments and tailored support in line with the Equality Act 2010.
Migration notices are issued in the appropriate format to meet any accessibility needs recorded for the customer on the legacy benefit system, such as braille, large print, British Sign Language (BSL), or email. Once a Universal Credit claim is made, customers can update their accessibility preferences directly through their online account.
For those who require additional support, the Department offers an Enhanced Support Journey to ensure legacy benefits do not end before a UC claim is completed. This includes proactive contact and, where necessary, home visits. Alternative channels are also available for claimants unable to use the online service, including telephone claims, face-to-face support in Jobcentres, and Video Relay Services for BSL users. Broader support needs—such as cognitive impairments or safeguarding requirements—are recorded and made visible to Work Coaches, Case Managers, and Visiting Officers to ensure tailored assistance throughout the migration process.
We also fund the Help to Claim service, delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, which provides independent, practical support from the point of application through to the first correct payment. Where a claimant cannot manage their own claim, they can give explicit consent for Universal Credit to speak with a third party or appoint an appointee to formally manage the claim.
These measures form part of our broader commitment to equality and inclusion, ensuring that no one is disadvantaged in accessing the support they are entitled to.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85288 on Public Sector: Sign Language, how she would define a supplier of assurance services in respect of BSL videos as deaf-led.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Deaf-led BSL suppliers play a crucial role in ensuring that BSL is used correctly and effectively in various settings.
Multiple suppliers exist in the market providing services to the Deaf community, ensuring that BSL is used effectively in all aspects of communication. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology does not prescribe a particular supplier, it is for service owners to select one based on their service users' needs.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85288 on Public Sector: Sign Language, what deaf-led British Sign Language (BSL) suppliers are recognised to assure BSL videos, including AI BSL videos.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government Digital Service does not recommend specific suppliers of BSL assurance, accessibility audits or suppliers of technology development generally.
Service Owners will follow their department's own supplier and commercial strategies. A number of Deaf-led agencies and language service providers are available to engage through Crown Commercial Service's digital purchasing frameworks.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85294 on Public Sector: Sign Language, which public services have approached the Government Digital Service to seek advice on the (a) development and (b) application of AI British Sign Language content.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government Digital Service does not record enquiries at this level of granularity.
Depending on the service type, it is likely the service team will both consult with the Service Manual and the Technology Code of Practice - covering the standards services need to meet - and go through a service assessment in order to receive a GOV.UK web address.
The assessment will check compliance with the Service Standard, including assessing evidence it complies with accessibility regulation and avoid excluding any groups within the audience they’re intended to serve.