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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 1 July 2025
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Displaying 1489 contributions

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Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee [Draft]

British Sign Language Inquiry

Meeting date: 17 June 2025

Karen Adam

That is great. If there is anything that your colleagues would like to add, that would be helpful.

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee [Draft]

United Kingdom Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 17 June 2025

Karen Adam

Is the committee content to agree to the Scottish Government’s decision to consent to the UK regulations?

Members indicated agreement.

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee [Draft]

British Sign Language Inquiry

Meeting date: 17 June 2025

Karen Adam

Thank you, Deputy First Minister. We will now move to questions, and I will start us off.

We have heard from witnesses that the BSL act has improved visibility and awareness of BSL in Scotland. We have even heard praise for the fact that Scotland has been a leader in this area, by recognising BSL as an official language, and praise for the engagement that there has been with the BSL community, but there has also been some criticism with regard to the delivery of services, capacity building and the lack of interpreters and teachers of BSL. What do you think are the positive impacts of the BSL act, and what have been the main challenges in delivery of the aims?

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee [Draft]

British Sign Language Inquiry

Meeting date: 17 June 2025

Karen Adam

Stacey, as someone who uses Contact Scotland BSL in your service delivery, do you feel that it has changed the services that you provide? How has it improved things for BSL users, if it has?

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee [Draft]

British Sign Language Inquiry

Meeting date: 17 June 2025

Karen Adam

Thank you. We move on to questions from Paul O’Kane.

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee [Draft]

British Sign Language Inquiry

Meeting date: 17 June 2025

Karen Adam

We move on to a question from Evelyn Tweed.

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee [Draft]

United Kingdom Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 17 June 2025

Karen Adam

Our next agenda item is consideration of a type 1 consent notification for the Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Act 2020. I refer members to paper 3. The Minister for Victims and Community Safety wrote to the committee on 27 May to give notice of the Scottish Government’s proposal to consent to the UK statutory instrument. The UK Government intends to lay the instrument on 1 September 2025.

Do members wish to make any comments on the Scottish Government’s notification?

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee [Draft]

British Sign Language Inquiry

Meeting date: 17 June 2025

Karen Adam

Thank you. Before I bring this session to a close, I ask the witnesses whether they have been able to express everything that they wished to. Would you like to add anything else?

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee [Draft]

British Sign Language Inquiry

Meeting date: 17 June 2025

Karen Adam

That is great. Thank you all once again very much for joining us. That brings our evidence session to a close. We will suspend briefly for a changeover of witnesses.

10:02 Meeting suspended.  

10:07 On resuming—  

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee [Draft]

British Sign Language Inquiry

Meeting date: 17 June 2025

Karen Adam

Under our second agenda item, we have the final evidence sessions of our inquiry into the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015. In the inquiry, the committee is exploring whether the BSL act, the current BSL plan and the listed authority plans are improving the lives of BSL users, and what changes could be made in the shorter and longer term to further improve things. I refer members to papers 1 and 2, and I welcome the first of two panels of witnesses.

We are joined in the room by Professor Annelies Kusters, professor of sociolinguistics, and Dr Robert Adam, associate professor in languages and intercultural studies, who are both from Heriot-Watt University. Joining us online from NHS Forth Valley are Stacey Gourlay, who is the disability liaison officer, and Rachel Tardito, who is the equality, diversity and wellbeing lead. Good morning—you are all very welcome to the committee.

We have just under an hour and a half for the discussion. We have not scheduled any breaks, but please indicate to me or the clerks if a break would be helpful. We move straight to questions and I will start us off. What are the positive impacts of the BSL act, and what are the main challenges in meeting its aims?