Sir Malcolm Bruce MP has been lucky enough to be selected in the ballot for Private Members Bills. As a result he has decided to table a bill on communication support for deaf people.
Sir Malcolm is a tireless advocate for the deaf community and is keen to use this opportunity to improve the everyday communication experiences of deaf and hard of hearing people.
Whilst tabling a bill of this sort could potentially benefit deaf and hard of hearing people, it is important to remember that it is 14th on the ballot list for Private Members Bills which reduces its chances of success.
The main aims of the bill are to establish a body that oversees British Sign Language (BSL) training, BSL teaching and supports deaf and hard of hearing children in schools.
The full title is “a Bill to establish a body to assess provision of communication support for deaf people and to make recommendations; and for connected purposes”. The short title of the bill has been confirmed as Communication Support (Deafness) Bill.
The bill has already received support from across the political divide including: Stephen Lloyd MP, Rosie Cooper MP, Richard Ottaway MP, Mr Michael McCann MP, Tim Loughton MP, Sir Robert Smith MP, Dame Anne Begg MP, Mr John Leech MP, Mr Robert Buckland MP and Mr Mark Williams MP. Although this initial support is encouraging the bill’s chances of success are far from certain.
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