Liberal Democrat MP Malcolm Bruce has welcomed today's announcement by the Government of the recognition of BSL as a language in its own right. Mr Bruce, who has a deaf daughter, is a long term campaigner for deaf issues and is the author of the Council of Europe report which the Government has stated it will consider in its moves towards giving sign languages the same protection as enshrined in the Charter of Regional and Minority Languages.

“I believe the recognition of BSL as a language in its own right and the money which the Government is to devote to its support represents a very positive step in the right direction. I am extremely gratified that the Government is to consider my report's recommendations as the basis for the protection and promotion of BSL.

“Up until today, British Sign Language has not been given the proper legal status, recognition or resources, and deaf people in the UK have suffered as a consequence. 70,000 British people use sign language as their first means of communication, and yet it has been sidelined and under-funded in a way languages spoken minority languages have never been.

“The serious shortcomings the Government have so far displayed have centred on not providing fully qualified BSL interpreters at the likes of medical assessments and DLA tribunals. I hope this announcement means deaf people will no longer have to rely on friends and family to interpret, and they will get the proper communication support they so desperately need.

“The step the British Government has taken today has the potential to revolutionise the way in which sign language users are treated. I sincerely hope that this, together with my work at the European level, will see deaf people's lives change dramatically for the better.”