"UK Needs to Treble Number of Sign Language Interpreters" says MP

12.01.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 6th Mar 2007

Mr Bruce is a longstanding campaigner on deaf issues

Liberal Democrat MP Malcolm Bruce is calling on the Government to take urgent action to address the shortage of British Sign Language interpreters in the UK.

Speaking in a debate in the Houses of Parliament today, Mr Bruce who is chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Deafness will highlight the increasing problems faced by families of deaf children in Britain today, who have little access to communication support.

Mr Bruce will say:

"The education of our children is fundamentally important to any parent, and no less so for those parents with deaf children. Children learn to communicate from their parents and that is why it is essential that the parents of deaf children have the support and advice on what services are available and what role sign language can play in their child's development.

"They should also have access to free training in sign language for the rest of the immediate family to help with communication of their deaf child and to ensure that deaf children do not fall behind in the development of their crucial language skills."

"Sadly this is not currently the case".

Citing the Welsh Assembly example which has introduced greater training facilities and funding for BSL interpreters Mr Bruce added:

"England and Scotland have much to do to catch up with the good example that is being set in Wales where bilingualism is the norm. There are currently only an estimated 435 interpreters across the UK, but we need an additional 800 more interpreters if we are to match the European average. Scotland needs to train an additional 80 interpreters and England needs another 700 to match the current Welsh programme.

"Taken further, if we were to match the example set by Finland, with a population of 5.5 million and with 600 sign language interpreters, the UK would need to train 6,500 interpreters. With a current total of an estimated 435, we are depressingly well short of that."

Susan Daniels OBE, Chief Executive of the National Deaf Children's Society commented:

"It is vitally important for there to be good communication within any family unit, but for deaf children it is impossible to over state the importance of effective early communication between the child and their family. It literally determines life outcomes.

The story of deaf children has traditionally been one of under-achievement and lower-than-average attainment, and without adequate sign language tuition and provision for deaf children and their parents who communicate using British Sign Language this is a trend likely to continue."