Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in her Department.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The membership of the following current groups and networks is based on direct ministerial appointments by Equalities Ministers, some of which were made under the previous administration. None of these appointments are remunerated and time commitment varies between groups and individuals.
British Sign Language Advisory Board (serving for 3 years): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-boosts-opportunity-for-deaf-people-with-refreshed-bsl-advisory-board
Disability and Access Ambassadors (serving for up to 3 years): www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-disability-and-access-ambassadors
The Disability Unit Regional Stakeholder Network (serving for up to 3 years): www.gov.uk/government/groups/disability-unit-regional-stakeholder-network
The Race Equality Engagement Group (appointed in May 2025 for 12 months with the possibility of an extension): www.gov.uk/government/groups/race-equality-engagement-group#members
The Women’s Business Council (serving for up to 3 years): www.womensbusinesscouncil.co.uk/members/
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, what assessment he has made for the potential implications for his policies of the BSL Advisory Board report on Health and Social Care, published on 27 November 2025.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population, which includes responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate provision of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters to support deaf patients in the community.
We welcome the British Sign Language Advisory Board’s report titled 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 people when accessing health and care services and experience of Deaf people.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the availability of sign language education courses.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
There are a variety of British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications available, from Level 1 through to Level 6. This includes Level 1 and 2 accredited qualifications offered by the Institute of British Sign Language, Signature and ABC Awards.
There are also funds available for adults who want to learn new skills through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), which fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3. 68% of the ASF is devolved to 13 strategic authorities, including the East Midlands Authority, who are responsible for ASF provision to their residents. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the remaining ASF and makes funding available for a range of qualifications including the Level 1 Award in BSL.
The government, working with Ofqual, has also developed the content and assessment arrangements for a new BSL GCSE.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that communications from NHS trusts to deaf and deafblind patients are accessible.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population, which includes responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate provision of British Sign Language interpreters to support deaf patients in the community.
Nationally, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss. This includes support for deaf and deafblind patients.
NHS England published a revised AIS on 30 June 2025. NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS with awareness raising, communication, and engagement, and a review of the current e-learning modules on the AIS. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the NHS are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using services.
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, what steps his Department is taking to ensure greater deaf awareness among frontline NHS staff.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers have been expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss. This includes support for deaf people and ensuring that British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters are provided when needed.
On 30 June 2025, NHS England published a revised AIS to help ensure that the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss are met in health and care provision.
NHS England revised the AIS e-learning for health module to match the latest version of the standard to support effective implementation. This training module includes specific reference to the needs of deaf people and BSL interpreting.
NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS with awareness raising, communication and engagement. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the NHS are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using services.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applicants have reported difficulties communicating with Access to Work in each of the last five years; and what feedback mechanisms exist to improve user experience.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold data on the number of applicants who have reported communication difficulties with Access to Work over the past five years. However, we actively seek and collect user feedback through a range of channels designed to improve the customer experience, including:
In addition, we offer reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility for all customers. These include communication by email, provision of information in alternative formats (such as large print or Braille), and other tailored support where required.
Asked by: Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps (a) her Department and (b) its public bodies are taking to (i) develop and (ii) use artificial intelligence approaches to British Sign Language.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Across government, there are opportunities to use AI to accelerate the creation of accessible content across public services. If public bodies trial the use of AI in approaches to BSL (British Sign Language), they would be required to conform with both WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and the Service Standard, and must conduct research with disabled people, including deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made in increasing the accessibility of major cultural institutions for people with disabilities.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Equality Act 2010 sets out the core legal obligations for cultural venues in the UK regarding disability access. Under this Act, venues must implement "reasonable adjustments" to ensure disabled individuals are not disadvantaged. These adjustments cover both physical modifications, such as installing ramps and accessible toilets, and changes to services and policies. The latter includes provisions like permitting assistance dogs, offering information in formats that are accessible, and providing aids like sign language interpretation or audio description. DCMS-funded Capital funds, including the Museum Estate and Development Fund, the Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund, and the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund all fund renovations across major cultural institutions designed to repair and modernise buildings, including improvements to access and interpretation for visitors with disabilities.
The Creative Foundations Fund is a major government investment supporting arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. The Creative Foundations Fund has a specific aim relating to access, supporting capital projects that address equality and accessibility issues to provide independent access for disabled people and welcome users with diverse needs such as but not limited to: improvements to surfaces such as paths, landscaping, such as level or ramped access or level drop-off points near entrances, installing Changing Places facilities or increasing provision of accessible, ambulant disabled, or gender-neutral toilets and installing signage that meets best practice guidelines.
The government primarily supports the arts and cultural projects through Arts Council England (ACE). DCMS is supporting ACE and the other arts councils in the UK and the Republic of Ireland to develop All In - an access scheme dedicated to removing barriers and improving the experience of deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people when attending creative and cultural events. All In aims to increase overall attendance by making it easier for people with access requirements to find and book tickets, while also developing standards for creativity and culture that promote quality and consistency across the UK and Ireland; all supported by training and skills development.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Disability Unit is taking to embed deaf awareness across Government services.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Disability Unit within Cabinet Office has responsibility for the British Sign Language (BSL) Act 2022, which has created a greater recognition and understanding of BSL and deaf awareness.
The Act requires the government to report on what departments listed in the Act have done to promote or facilitate the use of British Sign Language in their communications with the public, and the third BSL report was published in July 2025.
In addition to overall reporting, each ministerial department has produced a 5 year BSL Plan, published alongside the third BSL report. Within these plans, many government departments have committed to including deaf awareness training for their staff and affiliated public bodies. The Cabinet Office has also committed to raise awareness of BSL and the BSL Act 2022 across the Civil Service to support other departments to deliver their BSL commitments.
Following the passage of the BSL Act, the BSL Advisory board was created to advise the Government on key issues impacting the Deaf community in their everyday life. The Board will continue to work with the BSL Advisory Board, Deaf people and their representative organisations, and with Ministers across government, including the Lead Ministers for Disability.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the switch from analogue to digital health services is inclusive of people whose first language is British Sign Language.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has set out a commitment to make the NHS App British Sign Language accessible in the 10-Year Health Plan, which covers the period to 2035.