Mr Speaker, apologies for my phone making noises during Nick's speech.

I would like to speak on BBC NI's regrettable decision to withdraw sign language from its lunchtime news broadcast. While no doubt well intentioned, the decision sends an adverse message to the nearly 110,000 people who are deaf or hearing impaired, many of whom rely on sign language to communicate. Those who are deaf or hearing impaired and continue to pay the licence fee no longer have the same opportunity to access news as those who do not rely on sign language.

Approximately 6% of our population are registered as deaf, with BSL as their primary language. As a result of the Communications Act 2003, broadcasters in the UK have a legal obligation to provide at least 5% of content in sign language, yet BBC NI has now set a precedent whereby those who are deaf or hearing impaired cannot access their news at the same time as hearing people can. I have written to the director of BBC NI to request that that decision be reversed and those 90 seconds of sign language be returned to the end of the BBC NI lunchtime news broadcast.

There is also a compelling argument to be made to the Communities Minister, who has yet to publish the long-awaited sign language Bill, which would enshrine into law the right of deaf and hearing-impaired people to access services in one's own language, whether British Sign Language or Irish Sign Language.

This place often apportions great volumes of time and energy to addressing matters of language and identity, yet we do not see that same time and energy go into supporting people who are deaf or hearing impaired. Those who are deaf or hearing impaired often face negative perceptions and inequalities as a result of the design of their environment. Surely we owe it to them not to place obstacles in their way. Rather, we should recognise their needs and respond to them so that they can enjoy as full and purposeful a life as possible. That begins with their ability to access the news of the day in their own language. I therefore urge the BBC to restore what is a vital service for the almost 110,000 deaf and hearing-impaired people across our society.