§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the funding for British Sign Language initiatives has been allocated to Northern Ireland. [121914]
§ Angela SmithI have been asked to reply.
As language policy was devolved to Northern Ireland's local administration, none of the funding allocated by the Department for Work and Pensions to British Sign Language will be allocated to Northern Ireland.
My officials in the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure are considering options for supporting British and Irish sign languages in Northern Ireland.