Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-634 on 17 June 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to redraw the boundaries of local authority areas in Coatbridge and Chryston. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has the duty to review local authority area boundaries and to recommend changes resulting from any such review to ministers. This duty is subject to any ministerial direction given to the commission about the scope of reviews. Ministerial directions have been in place since 1999 restricting the commission to small scale reviews affecting a limited number of electors.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-634 on 17 June 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

This information is not held centrally. The Scottish Government however recognises the importance of British Sign Language (BSL) to the deaf community in Scotland. A BSL translation service is available under the Design, Print, Publishing and Associated Services Framework Agreement which came into effect in April 2010 and documents can be translated on request. Two publications have been translated into BSL under the framework – Consultation on Public Sector Equality Duty Draft Regulations and Order and Consultation on the Right to Adapt Common Parts in Scotland.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to redraw the boundaries of local authority areas in Motherwell and Wishaw. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has the duty to review local authority area boundaries and to recommend changes resulting from any such review to ministers. This duty is subject to any ministerial direction given to the commission about the scope of reviews. Ministerial directions have been in place since 1999 restricting the commission to small scale reviews affecting a limited number of electors.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-634 on 17 June 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to redraw the boundaries of local authority areas in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has the duty to review local authority area boundaries and to recommend changes resulting from any such review to ministers. This duty is subject to any ministerial direction given to the commission about the scope of reviews. Ministerial directions have been in place since 1999 restricting the commission to small scale reviews affecting a limited number of electors.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to redraw the boundaries of local authority areas in Falkirk East. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has the duty to review local authority area boundaries and to recommend changes resulting from any such review to ministers. This duty is subject to any ministerial direction given to the commission about the scope of reviews. Ministerial directions have been in place since 1999 restricting the commission to small scale reviews affecting a limited number of electors.

Shona Robison MSP, the then Minister for Public Health and Sport, formally announced the Scottish Government’s recognition of British Sign Language as a language in Scotland on 5 March 2011. The Minister said:

“The Scottish Government recognises the importance of British Sign Language to the Deaf community in Scotland, and the contribution which this vibrant language makes to the rich and varied use of language in Scotland today. BSL is a vital means of communication for Deaf people, as well as part of their linguistic and cultural identity, and we see our funding to support the training of tutors of BSL and of BSL interpreters as an important contribution towards protecting the language.”

The Scottish Government recognise the importance of British Sign Language to the deaf community in Scotland. We work with partners on the British Sign Language and Linguistic Access Working Group, which has published the Roadmap to British Sign Language and Linguistic Access in Scotland. We have provided funding for British Sign Language work, and we continue to work to support British Sign Language in Scotland.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to redraw the boundaries of local authority areas in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has the duty to review local authority area boundaries and to recommend changes resulting from any such review to ministers. This duty is subject to any ministerial direction given to the commission about the scope of reviews. Ministerial directions have been in place since 1999 restricting the commission to small scale reviews affecting a limited number of electors.