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Written Question
Government Departments: Communication
Thursday 28th March 2024

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he is taking steps to (a) ensure consistency in the accessibility of departmental communications and (b) support the use of (i) sign language videos, (ii) audio recordings and (iii) other accessible formats in such communications across Departments.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.


Written Question
Sign Language: GCSE
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that members of the British Deaf Community are offered opportunities to become tutors to teach the GCSE in British Sign Language in schools when it is introduced.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department published British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE subject content in December 2023, following a public consultation last summer. Exam boards are now able to develop detailed specifications, which must be reviewed and accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) before schools and colleges are able to teach them. The department does not play a role in developing or approving exam board specifications for GCSEs.

Only ancient or modern foreign language (MFL) GCSEs count towards the languages pillar of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The BSL GCSE does not sit in the MFL suite as it is not a foreign language but an indigenous one and does not contain the speaking and listening elements common to all MFL GCSEs. While the BSL GCSE will therefore not count towards the EBacc, it will be a rigorous qualification that is internationally recognised and accepted in school and college performance tables.

The department is considering the steps that can be taken to support the delivery of the BSL GCSE when it is introduced, such as engaging with initial teacher training providers. The department also expects stakeholder organisations and exam boards to play an important role in supporting the teaching workforce to deliver the BSL GCSE.


Written Question
Sign Language: GCSE
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the proposed new British Sign Language GCSE will count towards the English Baccalaureate to ensure it is seen by schools as holding the same weight as other languages.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department published British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE subject content in December 2023, following a public consultation last summer. Exam boards are now able to develop detailed specifications, which must be reviewed and accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) before schools and colleges are able to teach them. The department does not play a role in developing or approving exam board specifications for GCSEs.

Only ancient or modern foreign language (MFL) GCSEs count towards the languages pillar of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The BSL GCSE does not sit in the MFL suite as it is not a foreign language but an indigenous one and does not contain the speaking and listening elements common to all MFL GCSEs. While the BSL GCSE will therefore not count towards the EBacc, it will be a rigorous qualification that is internationally recognised and accepted in school and college performance tables.

The department is considering the steps that can be taken to support the delivery of the BSL GCSE when it is introduced, such as engaging with initial teacher training providers. The department also expects stakeholder organisations and exam boards to play an important role in supporting the teaching workforce to deliver the BSL GCSE.


Written Question
Sign Language: GCSE
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that there are sufficient tutors available to teach the GCSE in British Sign Language when it is introduced.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department published British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE subject content in December 2023, following a public consultation last summer. Exam boards are now able to develop detailed specifications, which must be reviewed and accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) before schools and colleges are able to teach them. The department does not play a role in developing or approving exam board specifications for GCSEs.

Only ancient or modern foreign language (MFL) GCSEs count towards the languages pillar of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The BSL GCSE does not sit in the MFL suite as it is not a foreign language but an indigenous one and does not contain the speaking and listening elements common to all MFL GCSEs. While the BSL GCSE will therefore not count towards the EBacc, it will be a rigorous qualification that is internationally recognised and accepted in school and college performance tables.

The department is considering the steps that can be taken to support the delivery of the BSL GCSE when it is introduced, such as engaging with initial teacher training providers. The department also expects stakeholder organisations and exam boards to play an important role in supporting the teaching workforce to deliver the BSL GCSE.


Written Question
Sign Language: GCSE
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in developing approved exam board syllabuses for a GCSE in British Sign Language.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department published British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE subject content in December 2023, following a public consultation last summer. Exam boards are now able to develop detailed specifications, which must be reviewed and accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) before schools and colleges are able to teach them. The department does not play a role in developing or approving exam board specifications for GCSEs.

Only ancient or modern foreign language (MFL) GCSEs count towards the languages pillar of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The BSL GCSE does not sit in the MFL suite as it is not a foreign language but an indigenous one and does not contain the speaking and listening elements common to all MFL GCSEs. While the BSL GCSE will therefore not count towards the EBacc, it will be a rigorous qualification that is internationally recognised and accepted in school and college performance tables.

The department is considering the steps that can be taken to support the delivery of the BSL GCSE when it is introduced, such as engaging with initial teacher training providers. The department also expects stakeholder organisations and exam boards to play an important role in supporting the teaching workforce to deliver the BSL GCSE.


Written Question
MMR Vaccine
Monday 12th February 2024

Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help encourage vaccine uptake for measles in Coventry; what plans she has to tackle gaps in measles vaccination coverage (a) generally and (b) among vulnerable populations; and how she will assess the effectiveness of those plans.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with NHS England, the Department, and wider health system partners which include Coventry, at national, regional and local levels, to improve uptake of routine childhood immunisations and catch-up children who missed out.

A range of information leaflets and promotional materials about the different vaccination programmes are available online, co-branded with the National Health Service. These include translations in a range of languages and braille, British Sign Language, large print and audio versions.

Communications on the benefits and associated risks of vaccination are managed through a multi-stakeholder approach involving NHS England, NHS England regional public health commissioning teams, local authority public health teams involving education, and UKHSA. NHS England regional teams are also working to improve access to the vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations.

NHS England is changing how providers of school-aged vaccinations capture vaccination data to better allow providers to identify areas of low uptake and undertake targeted outreach to address inequalities. Coverage of childhood vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, are measured when children reach their first, second and fifth birthdays. Official childhood vaccine coverage estimates are published annually by UKHSA and NHS England.

Effectiveness will be monitored through the analysis of MMR activity using surveillance and operational databases. The National MMR catch-up programme will include an evaluation element. The school MMR approach includes evaluation using a standardised template and evaluation report from providers at the end of the programme.


Written Question
Vaccination: Children
Monday 5th February 2024

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to tackle the spread of misinformation on (a) the MMR vaccine and (b) other childhood immunisations.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) ensures all relevant healthcare professionals have access to childhood immunisation resources to maintain confidence in the national vaccination programmes, including measles, mumps and rubella.

There are a range of information leaflets and promotional materials available online about the different vaccination programmes, co-branded with the National Health Service. These include translations in a range of languages and braille, British Sign Language, large print and audio versions.

NHS England is actively working with regional and local systems in low uptake communities, to enhance outreach activities and interventions to support access for individuals. UKHSA has developed an evaluation framework and resources to facilitate the efficient sharing of the most successful interventions.

To assess the level of public confidence in vaccination programmes, the UKHSA undertakes annual surveys, to understand how knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards vaccine safety, and disease severity influence vaccine uptake. This information is used to inform programme planning and implementation and the development of effective communication strategies.


Written Question
Special Educational Needs: Sign Language
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of education health and care plans included funding for courses in British Sign Language in each of the last five years.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department does not hold the data requested.

The department collects data from local authorities on the number of children and young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, but this does not include information on any specific education courses that are included in EHC plans.


Written Question
Sign Language: Training
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve pre-school communication for deaf children (a) in early years settings and (b) between family members.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department wants every child to receive a high standard of early education and we are committed to supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including in early years.

The early years foundation stage statutory framework states that all providers must have arrangements in place to support children with SEND, including deaf children. Maintained schools, maintained nursery schools and all providers who are funded by the local authority to deliver early education places must have regard to the SEND code of practice.

The government is also investing approximately £300 million to enable 75 local authorities to create family hubs, and to improve vital services to give every baby the best start in life, including those with SEND. Staff in family hubs should be knowledgeable about SEND services and be able to connect families to appropriate support and services. SEND information advice and support may be physically located within the hub buildings, and should be in an accessible format, addressing wider accessibility needs. Staff can make referrals to appropriate services within the hub network and make families aware of education, health and care request procedure.

Family hubs provide services for children of all ages (0-19 or 0-25 for families with children who have SEND), with a great start for life offer at their core. Family hubs are a way of joining up locally to improve access to services, the connections between families, professionals, services, and providers, and prioritise strengthening the relationships. On 10 January 2024, the government announced that every one of the 75 local authorities in the family hubs and start for life programme have now opened family hubs, creating a welcoming place where families with children aged 0-19, or 25 with SEND, can be connected to a wide range of services for families.

It is important that the government leads by example. The duties in the British sign language (BSL) Act encourage government departments to improve how they communicate with and meet the needs of the deaf community. The department is keen to ensure that every department is aware of, and understands, the legal requirements of the BSL Act. The department is also keen that, from one reporting period to the next, every department can show a steady and significant improvement in their use of BSL.


Written Question
Sign Language: Education
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Disability Unit has made a recent assessment of the (a) level of demand for and (b) adequacy of the availability of courses in British Sign Language.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Disability Unit in the Cabinet Office has not made any recent assessments of the (a) level of demand for and (b) adequacy of the availability of courses in British Sign Language (BSL) as this is the remit of the Department of Education. However, following the passage of the BSL Act (2022), the Government established a non-statutory BSL Advisory Board who will continue to consider and advise the Government on matters of importance to the d/Deaf community.