Deaf News: MPs ask #WhereIsTheInterpreter during Parliamentary debate

Several Members of Parliament have criticised the UK Government’s refusal to provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, in a Westminster Hall debate on the “unequal impact” of coronavirus on disabled people.

The Women and Equalities Select Committee published the Government’s response to its report on the issue on Wednesday, and shadow minister Vicky Foxcroft challenged the Prime Minister in BSL during this week’s PMQs.

The @Conservatives have failed at making #COVID19 essential communication inclusive.

I've asked @BorisJohnson several times why his press conferences continue to exclude disabled people who rely on British Sign Language.

His answers aren't good enough – this needs fixing.#PMQs pic.twitter.com/8EwmvswopB

— Vicky Foxcroft MP 💙 (@vickyfoxcroft) April 14, 2021

Starting the debate, committee chair Caroline Nokes MP said: “I find it utterly incomprehensible, for example, that the government has still not arranged in-person British Sign Language Interpretation of its televised COVID briefings.

“[This was] an issue I raised at the Liaison Committee with the PM in January, and [Foxcroft] raised again yesterday, very effectively, at PMQs, but on neither occasion was a proper response forthcoming.”

The Conservative MP went on to add that the arguments that “there is not enough space in Downing Street” and that there isn’t enough time to provide an interpreter are “weak”, echoing previous remarks made by the politician in January where she called on the government to “find a bigger room”.

She continued: “Surely, the government could have found a space during the recent media suite refit.

“I’m unsurprised campaigners have resorted to judicial review, but I am surprised the government has not sought to resolve the issues swiftly and simply, by finding both the space and inclination to include a BSL interpreter.”

Nokes’ contribution was followed by Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, who said she had written to the Prime Minister requesting a BSL interpreter after the first press conference took place on 16 March last year.

“We eventually got one for the BBC coverage, but despite the hefty 2.6 million price tag for the new flash press suite at Downing Street, no one thought to make provision for a BSL interpreter.”

The London MP’s comments come after the UK Government built a new broadcast studio in a larger room in No 9 Downing Street, yet still failed to provide an in-person interpreter when they began last month.

Siddiq also raised the issue of face masks, saying that they can be “profoundly isolating for those who rely on lipreading and facial expressions” to communicate with others.

“I do remain concerned that the Department for Education’s guidance continues to state, that there is – and I quote – ‘currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings’, given that they have been rolled out in health and care settings.

“I would urge ministers to take another look at this guidance, to avoid teachers being put off using clear face masks unnecessarily and impeding the education of children with hearing loss,” she said.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) also criticised the Government for its failure to provide an in-person interpreter, with disability spokesperson Marion Fellows MP making a speech during the debate.

“Even an easy thing to do like having a BSL signer at No 10 briefings during the pandemic was not in place, whilst in Scotland, the daily briefings by the First Minister were signed from the start.

“Not hard to arrange, but the lack of this basic tool for the deaf community reveals a lack of thought on the best way to communicate directly with deaf members of the population who need to understand what is going on, as they feel cut off at the best of times,” she said.

Towards the end of the debate, Charlotte Nichols MP, Labour’s shadow women and equalities minister, said: “As has been raised by a number of honourable members in today’s debate and raised repeatedly with the government over a number of months, why has the government – not least the Prime Minister – been so resistant to British Sign Language interpreters at their briefings?

“This report is clear how alienating and indeed dangerous this has been for deaf people.”

Responding on behalf of the government, Justin Tomlinson MP, the minister for disabled people, said: “From the very start of the pandemic, we have ensured that the views of disabled people and their families and carers have been taken into account when considering how best to support disabled people.”

“The government is committed to providing both key COVID-related guidance and communications in alternative formats – including large print, easy read, British Sign Language, and audio.

“We have now established BSL interpretation at the No 10 press conferences via the BBC News Channel and iPlayer, available on all TV packages as part of Freeview. Accessible information is also available on the government’s social media channels.

“While there will undoubtedly be opportunities to learn from our COVID-19 response in the longer term, the overall picture is that this government moves fast and flexibly to provide support for disabled people in these unprecedented times,” he said.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is a mildly deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He wears bilateral hearing aids and can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.