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The Scottish government will now lead a member's debate on unconventional oil and gas.

Key actions to be taken by 2020.

An action plan which aims to make Scotland the best place in the world for British Sign Language (BSL) users to live, work and visit has been unveiled.

The first BSL national plan to be produced anywhere in the UK sets out the Scottish Government’s ambition to ensure deaf and deafblind BSL users are fully involved in all aspects of daily and public life, from early years and education to culture and transportation.

It describes a range of key actions to be implemented by 2020, including:

• Removing the barriers that prevent BSL users from becoming registered teachers
• Enabling more pupils to choose to learn BSL in school and developing Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) awards in BSL
• Guaranteeing all Scottish Government funded employment initiatives are fully accessible to BSL users
• Researching technological solutions to providing information in BSL in transport hubs such as train stations and airports

Building the skills of qualified BSL interpreters to work in specialist settings like health, mental health and justice

Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles says his party welcome the BSL plan.

Mr Rumbles asks for specifics on the information around those seeking advice on mental health grounds.

The minister says everyone should their have their rights respected free from discrimination or stigma.

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Green MSP John Finnie asks about support and privacy around medical appointments.

Mr MacDonald agrees and says this is an area that needs to be looked at very carefully.

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Labour MSP Mark Griffin warmly welcomes the publication of the strategy.

Mr Griffin thanks the BSL national advisory group for their work on the strategy.

The Labour MSP asks how BSL interpreter numbers will be increased.

Mr MacDonald thanks Mark Griffin for bringing forward the BSL Bill in 2015.

He says there will be two new training courses introduced.

The minister says he will speak to the minister for sport about how to encourage participation in the Deaf Olympics.

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Conservative MSP Liz Smith welcomes the statement and all the improvements for the deaf or hard of hearing.

Ms Smith asks how many staff will be needed to implement the changes.

Mr MacDonald says the government has not put fixed numbers within the plan, due to varying needs across different sectors.

The minister says there will be courses available to provide BSL qualifications.

He says all the actions in the plan are fully budgeted for.

Mr MacDonald says each college and university will have to provide their own BSL plan.

The BBC met some school pupils who are learning to sign and learning alongside deaf children.

Facts and figures

• There are about 11 million people in the UK who are deaf or hard of hearing
• There are more than 48,000 deaf children in the UK - 41,261 in England, 2,374 in Wales, 2,942 in Scotland and 1,497 in Northern Ireland
• BSL is the first or preferred language of about 70,000 deaf people in the UK
• BSL is not a translation of English - it has its own linguistics and a very different grammatical structures to English
• The UK government acknowledged it as an official language in 2003.

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Mr MacDonald highlights the Access to Elected Office Fund which he hopes will help see deaf or deaf blind MSPs.

The minister details public bodies who will have to publish their own BSL plans.

He says over the next three years the government will offer practical support.

The minister says in 2020 a progress report will be published, detailing progress on the 10 goals of the plan.

Mr MacDonald says families with deaf or deaf blind children will receive advice and information from birth.

He details improvements in education for deaf or deaf blind children.

The childcare and early years minister says work will be done to make BSL a more attractive subject choice.

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Childcare and Early Years Minister Mark MacDonald says he is delighted to share the final BSL plan.

Mr MacDonald says the public gallery is full of BSL users.

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The British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill , externalwas passed unanimously by MSPs on 17 September 2015 and received Royal Assent on 22 October 2015.

• The central purpose of the Act is to promote the use of BSL principally by requiring BSL plans to be prepared and published by the Scottish ministers and the 116 public authorities listed at Schedule 2 of the Act.

• The national plan and listed authority plans are required to be reviewed and new plans published on a four year timeline.

• This approach is intended to increase the profile of the language and, with this, its use in delivery of services.
• The Act does not go as far as imposing an explicit statutory requirement on authorities to provide British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters or translation services, nor does it require listed authorities to deliver specific services to BSL users or those wishing to learn BSL.
• The Actl also does not extend to other minority languages, or to other forms of communication that may be required by people with deafness or hearing difficulties.
• The view is that legislation is required to give the Scottish government an opportunity to act on its commitment to recognise and support BSL as a minority language.

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Click here for the 145 published responses to the consultation. , external

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Here is the Scottish government consultation on the Draft British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan 2017-2023, external.

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Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh begins the statement on the BSL Plan using very impressive sign language.