Current status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the authorities listed in the schedule of the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 had published their own BSL local plans by May 2024, in line with the requirement in section 3 of the Act.
The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn. The BSL National Plan 2023-29 is a cross government plan containing 45 actions under the 10 priority themes. The actions will address barriers faced by BSL users in their daily lives. Ensuring equal access, opportunity, representation and inclusion are key components of our plan stemming across areas such as education, health, justice and culture.
The Scottish Government does not have a regulatory role in ensuring compliance with the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015. It is for Listed Authorities to satisfy themselves they are complying with the law, meet statutory deadlines and assess the legal risks should they fail to do so.
The Scottish Government has a strong interest in the actions contained in BSL local plans. As a result, we are engaging with key partners to identify initiatives that can be shared as best practice across the wider system.