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24 Mar 2003 : Column 135—continued
Malcolm Bruce: Will the Minister give way?
Maria Eagle: I am afraid that I do not have much time left, although I appreciate that we all have a lot to say on the subject.
Beside the Government, others have been active in promoting access to BSL. For example, the DRC has jointly, with the British Deaf Association and the Royal National Insititute for Deaf People, produced guidance on BSL English interpreting. The DRC is currently consulting on the guidance. The consultation closes on 7 April. The joint project is one example of the work being done by non-governmental organisations with an interest in this issue.
There is still much to be done. The Government recognise that further work is needed to raise awareness so that the status of BSL is understood and so that it is fully accepted as a language—one that is used by a significant number of deaf people. The written statement that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions made to the House is an important sign of the Government's commitment.
BSL is important for deaf people's sense of identity and self-esteem. It has a symbolic significance that should not be underestimated. However, its significance is greater than that. Practical benefits will follow from the initiatives that were announced in support of the statement. We will be working with deaf organisations to progress those initiatives. However, I cannot give full details of that today.
The hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington is quite rightly concerned to ensure that there is a continuous funding stream for the training of BSL tutors and so on. The £1 million that the Secretary of State has announced is in addition to existing resources. For example, the "success for all" strategy of the Department for Education and Skills is investing £200 million over the next three years in improving and raising standards for teaching and learning in further education. There is no reason why BSL tutors and trainers should not benefit from that funding in the same way as tutors and trainers in any other specialist subject.
I want to emphasise that the statement is not the end of the story, significant though it is. The hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington referred to Irish sign language. That will be a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who will no doubt be in touch with the hon. Gentleman on the intentions for Irish sign language.
This is not the end of the process. It is a beginning and a step on the way towards increasing the profile of BSL and of recognising it for what it is—a language. I am committed to continuing to encourage wider recognition through the Council of Europe—to the extent that I can press for that—and to improving the opportunities for access to all aspects of life for deaf people whose first language is BSL.
I was never that good at learning languages. The extent of my vocabulary in BSL is to say, "BSL recognition". With that, I should probably resume my seat.
- Adjourned accordingly at sixteen minutes to Eleven o'clock.
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