Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to communicate the work of the British Sign Language Advisory Board with the deaf community.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Summaries of meetings of the BSL Advisory Board are available on GOV.UK. These summaries are available both in BSL and in written English.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Education Health and Care Plans include (a) courses and (b) other forms of training in British Sign Language for (i) children and (ii) family members.
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 Plan, but this does not include information on the contents of the plan.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the Care Quality Commission spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
In the 2022/23 financial year the Care Quality Commission spent £61,000 on the Inclusive Leadership Pathway programme, a talent selective development programme for underrepresented groups to support them reaching senior levels. It also spent £11,000 on a British Sign Language course for colleagues across the organisation.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the British Sign Language (BSL) Advisory Board last met; if he will publish the minutes of that meeting; and when the next meeting of the BSL Advisory Board is due to take place.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The BSL Advisory Board last met on 17th July 2023. The summary minutes of that meeting will be published on GOV.UK in due course.
The BSL Advisory Board will next meet on 8th November 2023.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission entitled Seven Years On: disabled people’s rights to independent living, employment and standard of living in the UK, published on 17 August 2023, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the conclusions of that report on the Government's progress in implementing the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities entitled Inquiry concerning the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland carried out by the Committee under article 6 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention, published in October 2017.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We note the report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission entitled “Seven Years On: disabled people’s rights to independent living, employment and standard of living in the UK”, published on 17 August 2023.
This Government is committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to improving the lives of disabled people.
We have implemented numerous policies and programmes to tackle the barriers faced by disabled people, including investing in employment support initiatives, improving social care support and better the accessibility of homes and transport. In March, the Department for Work and Pensions published the Health and Disability White Paper, which sets out the Government’s plans to reform the welfare system and make it better meet the needs of disabled people in Great Britain.
The Government supported the passage of the British Sign Language Act 2022, which recognises BSL as a language of England, Wales and Scotland in its own right. To further improve accessible communication, we have appointed the non-statutory BSL Advisory Board.
In July, we launched an accessible 12-week consultation on our new Disability Action Plan, which is part of this Government’s commitment to create a society that works for everyone, where all can participate and be fully included. The Disability Action Plan will set out the immediate action the Government will take in 2023 and 2024 to improve disabled people’s lives, as well as laying the foundations for longer term change, and it complements the long-term vision set out in the National Disability Strategy.
We will be shortly setting out our plans for taking forward individual commitments in the National Disability Strategy, to make the greatest possible impact for disabled people.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Advanced Learner Loans were granted for courses in British Sign Language in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The number of Advance Learner Loans for courses in British Sign Language per enrolment and academic year since the 2017/18 academic year are included in the table attached. These counts have been rounded to the nearest five and do not include loans for courses in Irish Sign Language.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission entitled Progress on disability rights in the United Kingdom: 2023, published on 17 August 2023, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings of that report on the rights and living conditions of disabled people; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We note the report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission entitled “Progress on disability rights in the United Kingdom: 2023”, published on 17 August 2023.
This Government is committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to improving the lives of disabled people.
We have implemented numerous policies and programmes to tackle the barriers faced by disabled people, including investing in employment support initiatives, improving social care support and the accessibility of homes and transport. In March, the Department for Work and Pensions published the Health and Disability White Paper, which sets out the Government’s plans to reform the welfare system and make it better meet the needs of disabled people in Great Britain.
The Government supported the passage of the British Sign Language Act 2022 which recognises BSL as a language of England, Wales and Scotland in its own right. To further improve accessible communication, we have appointed the non-statutory BSL Advisory Board.
In July, we launched an accessible 12-week consultation on our new Disability Action Plan, which is part of this Government’s commitment to create a society that works for everyone, where all can participate and be fully included. The Disability Action Plan will set out the immediate action the Government will take in 2023 and 2024 to improve disabled people’s lives, as well as laying the foundations for longer term change, and it complements the long-term vision set out in the National Disability Strategy.
We will be shortly setting out our plans for taking forward individual commitments in the National Disability Strategy, to make the greatest possible impact for disabled people.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many 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)
Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans must specify the special educational provision required to meet each of the child or young person’s special educational needs. It is the responsibility of the local authority to secure the special educational provision specified in the plan. The department does not collect data on the specific types of special educational provision that are included in EHC plans.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department's Disability Unit has made of the (a) adequacy of availability of and (b) strength of demand for courses in British Sign Language.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Disability Unit does not keep statistics on the adequacy of availability, or strength of demand, for courses in British Sign Language, as this would be a matter for the Department for Education.
A British Sign Language (BSL) Advisory Board has been established to help advise the Government on the implementation of the British Sign Language Act 2022. This Act legally recognises BSL as a language of England, Wales and Scotland. It requires government departments to report on how they are ensuring accessibility of their communications through the use of BSL. The BSL Advisory Board is a new expert committee which will advise the Government on the implementation of the BSL Act and other matters important to BSL signers. Amongst other things, the Board will advise on how to increase the numbers of qualified and registered BSL interpreters.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional support funding is available to deaf leaners or the parents of deaf leaners through the (a) Adult Education Budget and (b) other forms of funding in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The government understands the great importance of British Sign Language (BSL) for bridging barriers to communication between hearing and deaf people. The department also appreciates the vital need for families with deaf children to be able to access BSL courses, as early access to language is essential to help children learn and thrive.
Funding is available through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) for qualifications in or focusing on BSL up to, and including, Level 2. These qualifications include the Level 1 Award in BSL, which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use, thereby giving them the basic skills and confidence in production and reception of BSL. It will depend on an individual’s circumstances as to whether they are entitled to free provision or are expected to meet part of the cost through co-funding.
For qualifications at Level 3 and above, Advanced Learner Loans (ALLs) are available for certain BSL qualifications. Individuals can access information on which qualifications are eligible at: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search. More general information about the provision of ALLs is available at: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan. If undertaking a BSL qualification that leads to a master’s level qualification, eligible students can access a postgraduate loan, as long as they have not previously accessed the postgraduate loan product, or already hold a Level 7 qualification. Several universities and organisations offer such qualifications.
For parents learning BSL on an AEB funded course, there is also additional support available. The AEB provides funding to colleges and providers to help adult learners overcome barriers preventing them from accessing learning. Providers have discretion to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment, and childcare. Learning support funding also helps colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the costs of reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.
The government has not assessed the accessibility of BSL classes and qualifications for those who are ineligible for the AEB. In areas where the AEB is devolved, it is for the Mayoral Combined Authority or Greater London Authority to decide how funding is spent.
In the rest of the country the Education and Skills Funding Agency manages the AEB. Learners who are employed and earn above the low wage threshold can be co-funded to complete provision up to, and including, Level 2, meaning that government pays a 50% contribution to the course cost. This includes some BSL qualifications. For these learners, the department suggests contacting the education provider regarding enrolment and payment processes. Apart from the statutory entitlements, it is for AEB providers to choose how they wish to prioritise funding within their AEB allocations.
In addition, on 15 June, the department launched a public consultation on the proposed subject content for a new GCSE in British Sign Language (BSL). The aim is for first teaching of the GCSE to take place from September 2025. The aim is that by introducing this new GCSE, more schools and colleges will choose to teach BSL in turn, increasing the number of BSL users and advance equality of opportunity.
The table below contains adult (19+) further education (FE) and skills learning aim enrolments from the 2017/18 academic year onwards that have ‘British Sign Language’ or ‘BSL’ in their aim title. Additional breakdowns are provided for education and training learning, and for learners declaring themselves as hearing impaired. The department does not hold information as to whether the learners taking these aims have deaf children.
Adult (19+) learning aim enrolments with ‘BSL’ or ‘British Sign Language’ in the title
Academic year | Further education and skills | Education and training | Education and training up to level 2 | |
All enrolments | of which hearing impaired. | |||
2017/18 | 2,010 | 1,990 | 1,910 | 90 |
2018/19 | 2,130 | 2,100 | 2,020 | 140 |
2019/20 | 1,520 | 1,510 | 1,430 | 120 |
2020/21 | 1,030 | 1,010 | 970 | 90 |
2021/22 | 1,050 | 1,050 | 1,030 | 90 |
To Note:
1) Figures rounded to the nearest 10
2) Data Source is the Individualised Learner Record.
3) Education and training aim enrolments includes learning funded via the AEB
4) Learners have the option to record a single instance of a primary learning difficulty or disability on the ILR, which we are reporting here. It will not include learners with a hearing impairment that do not wish to declare their disability, or who have multiple disabilities and do not declare a hearing impairment as their primary disability.
5) Aim enrolments are a count of enrolments at aims level (including component aims) for each academic year. Learners are counted for each aim they are studying and so, can be counted more than once. It is not a count of unique learners. Care should be taken when interpreting different learner characteristics as they could be repeated where a learner does more than one aim.
FE within the FE and skills and apprenticeship and traineeships publications covers learners who are studying courses in a FE College, with a training provider or within their local community. It also includes employees undertaking an apprenticeship or other qualification in the workplace. Education and training are mainly classroom-based adult FE that is not classed as an apprenticeship, community learning or workplace learning. It can also include distance learning or e-learning. It includes traineeships and offender learning.