British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill

Outcome: E

A Bill for an Act of the Scottish Parliament to promote the use of British Sign Language including by making provision for the preparation and publication of a British Sign Language National Plan for Scotland and by requiring certain authorities to prepare and publish their own British Sign Language Plans in connection with the exercise of their functions; and to provide for the manner in which such plans are to be prepared and for their review and updating.

Current Status of the Bill

This Member's Bill, introduced by Mark Griffin MSP, on 30 October 2014.

Received Royal Assent on 22 October 2015.

British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 asp 11

Introduction of the Bill

Link to BSL video translations of the documents.

Research Briefings on Bill

SB 15-05 British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill (818KB pdf)

BSL signing hands graphic SB 15-05 Executive summary (BSL)

Stage 1

Lead Committee: Education and Culture

Dates of consideration by lead committee:

16 December 2014 (evidence) Official Report of meeting

24 February 2015 (evidence) Official Report of meeting

17 March 2015 (evidence) Official Report of meeting

21 April 2015

The Committee published its Stage 1 report on 27 April 2015:

4th Report, 2015 (Session 4): Stage 1 report on the British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill (2.35MB pdf)

Dates of consideration by other Committees:

4 February 2015 (evidence) (Finance Committee) Official Report of meeting

18 February 2015 (Finance Committee)

3 March 2015 (Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee) Official Report of meeting

24 March 2015 (Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee)

Report by the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee on the Bill at Stage 1

Report by the Finance Committee on the Bill at Stage 1

Minute of Stage 1 debate, 5 May 2015

Stage 1 debate, meeting of the Parliament, 5 May 2015

BSL signing hands graphic Executive Summary of the Report (BSL)

BSL signing hands graphic Convener Stewart Maxwell reflecting on the Committee's findings (BSL)

Stage 2

The Committee considered the Bill at Stage 2 on 2 June 2015.

Minute of Stage 2 proceedings

Official Report of Stage 2 proceedings

After Stage 2

Consideration of the Bill (as amended at Stage 2) by Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee, 23^rd Meeting – 1 September 2015 Official Report of meeting
Report by the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee on the Bill as Amended at Stage 2

BSL signing hands graphic British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill [as amended at Stage 2] - Supplementary Financial Memorandum: Introduction

BSL signing hands graphic British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill [as amended at Stage 2] - Supplementary Financial Memorandum: Production of National Plan

BSL signing hands graphic British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill [as amended at Stage 2] - Supplementary Financial Memorandum: Cost of translating draft and final plans and the national progress report

BSL signing hands graphic British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill [as amended at Stage 2] - Supplementary Financial Memorandum: Increasing the capacity of interpreting services

BSL signing hands graphic British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill [as amended at Stage 2] - Supplementary Financial Memorandum: Conclusion

BSL signing hands graphic British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill [as amended at Stage 2] - Revised Explanatory Note, commentary 1

BSL signing hands graphic British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill [as amended at Stage 2] - Revised Explanatory Note, commentary 2

Read SPICe briefing: