To ask the First Minister what consideration the Scottish Government has given to what the potential impact might be on deaf and deafblind people of the termination of its contract with Contact Scotland BSL. (S6F-03665)

The Scottish Government wrote to the supplier of Contact Scotland BSL on 4 December notifying it that its contract would come to an end on 31 March 2025, in accordance with its terms. First, I want to be clear that there will be no break in service for users of Contact Scotland BSL while we retender for the free service. We will work closely with BSL users in Scotland and the current supplier of Contact Scotland BSL to design the service to ensure that it best meets the needs of those who use it and that it raises awareness of the availability of the service and, therefore, also increases the number of users.

That seems to be a change in direction from the Government because, in its letter, the existing service provider was informed that the contract would not be retendered. I am sure that deaf people in the public gallery and across the country will welcome the news that the service is to be retendered, which is different from the information that I have received so far. If that is a change in the Government’s position, it is welcome.

We should put ourselves in the shoes of a deaf person and imagine that we are not feeling well so we go to our general practitioner and are referred for further tests. When we go to the consultant’s appointment, we cannot get an interpreter. Previously, before we had the service in place, people would often have to take family members with them. Can members imagine taking a teenage family member to interpret the devastating news that they could potentially receive? The change in information from the Government is welcome, but I ask the First Minister to ensure that the deaf and deafblind community is fully consulted on what the new service will look like.

I give Mr Griffin that assurance. I am sorry if there has been an impression that there was to be no retendering of the service. I will make sure that that is properly explored.

I know the long-standing interest that Mr Griffin takes on these issues. He has given a very distinguished contribution to Parliament on these topics, and I want to make sure that the legitimate issues that he raises are properly explored. I give the assurance that there will be engagement with the BSL community.

If, to seek further assurance, Mr Griffin wishes to raise any more material with me, he knows that I will happily engage with him about that, as will ministers, to make sure that the service is available for all the legitimate reasons that he has put to me today.

I welcome what the First Minister has said in response to Mark Griffin. However, Mark Griffin is right—in the correspondence that the Scottish Government sent to the existing service provider, it says:

“following Ministerial agreement in November, the Scottish Government will not be retendering a BSL Video Relay service”.

It says that very clearly in the letter. Will the First Minister now confirm that the service is not being defunded and that there will be no break or disruption to the Contact Scotland BSL service as it is now operating?

I will read my earlier answer again, because it is printed and typed in front of me, so this information will have to be correct. [ Laughter .] I am becoming slightly uneasy at the frequency with which the question is being put to me, so this wording had better be correct: I want to be clear that there will be no break in service for users of Contact Scotland BSL while we retender for the free service.

There is clearly an issue here, which I need to get to the bottom of, because, if I am getting it from both sides of the chamber, I had better make sure that it is absolutely watertight. However, that is the commitment that I give to the Parliament today and, because I have given Parliament that commitment, that is what is going to have to happen.

We move to general and Constituency supplementary questions.