PLANS to make Wales the best place in the UK for British Sign Language (BSL) users moved a significant step closer to becoming law with the Senedd’s unanimous support.

If ultimately passed, the BSL bill – introduced by the Conservatives’ Mark Isherwood – would end Wales’ status as the only UK nation without specific sign language protections.

Leading a debate on Wednesday December 17, Mr Isherwood said the Senedd supporting the bill’s general principles was a “huge step ahead” for the “vital” legislation.

Mr Isherwood, a disability rights campaigner for decades, explained his backbench bill would introduce legal requirements to promote and facilitate the use of BSL in Wales.

He said the bill, if passed, would be the most progressive piece of BSL legislation anywhere in the UK, recognising BSL is a language in its own right, not a communication support need.

He highlighted that the bill would establish a BSL adviser role, the first statutory post of its kind in the UK, describing its importance as something that “cannot be overstated”.

Mr Isherwood, who chairs cross-party groups on disability and deaf issues, told the Senedd: “This isn’t just my bill. This is the bill of the BSL community. Let’s make this happen together and be proud of it together on behalf of deaf people across Wales.”

Jenny Rathbone, the Labour chair of the Senedd’s equality committee, was convinced of the “overdue” need for legislation to give more standing to British Sign Language.

Ms Rathbone said the committee heard the biggest barrier “by some margin” was the availability of interpreters and the sustainability of the workforce.

She quoted a signer who told the committee: “The bill would make us feel respected and valued. But without proper funding, planning and deaf-led leadership, it won’t go far enough.”

Sioned Williams, Plaid Cymru’s shadow social justice secretary, told Senedd members: “Language is a part of our identity, our culture and our personal dignity.

“When someone cannot use their language, they are excluded from education, health care, employment and public life – and that is not acceptable in today’s Wales.”

Ms Williams warned that if the legislation fails to deliver real change, the deaf community would be left “angry, disappointed and very, very disheartened”.

She expressed concern that the bill does not legally require the BSL adviser to be a deaf person, arguing it is “not appropriate, possible or efficient” for non-signers to lead the way.

Mr Isherwood defended the decision not to require that the adviser must be deaf, warning a successful legal challenge to a single such provision could cause the entire bill to fail.

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds warned of an immediate workforce crisis, with only 54 registered sign language interpreters in Wales as of July.

With many now approaching the end of their working lives, she said: “We cannot – we must not – allow this bill to fail because we didn’t have the foresight to address this crisis now.”

Support for the bill stretched across the political spectrum, with Reform UK’s Laura Anne Jones similarly welcoming the “long-overdue” and “vital” legislation.

Jane Hutt, Wales’ social justice secretary, confirmed the Welsh Government’s financial backing, committing £214,300 for the bill’s first year of implementation in 2026/27.

If it clears the final hurdles, Mr Isherwood’s proposal will be the first backbench bill to enter the statute book in about a decade following the Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Act 2016.

NEARLY four in ten disabled children in Wales “never or hardly ever” play outside due to a “heartbreaking” lack of accessible parks, politicians have warned.

Rhys ab Owen, an independent, described the situation as “disgraceful” as he cited a Play Wales report showing 37% of disabled children are effectively shut out of playgrounds.

Leading a debate in the Senedd on Wednesday December 17, he read the testimony of a ten-year-old boy from Blaenau Gwent who said: “Nowhere disabled friendly – parks haven’t got disabled friendly equipment, so I can’t play.”

Mr ab Owen warned: “There shouldn’t be any discrimination… disabled children do face much greater problems in terms of park maintenance, and with accessibility and inclusion.”

He shared the experience of a 13-year-old girl from Newport who told researchers: “There’s nowhere I can play or hang out safely by myself as I use a frame to help me walk.”

The former barrister warned budget cuts were leading to a managed decline in standards, quoting a 13-year-old from Caerphilly who said: “Due to anti-social behaviour our equipment gets broken, burnt and vandalised and is then not replaced.”

The Conservatives’ Natasha Asghar was stunned by the scale of the crisis and revealed that only 11% of playgrounds in Wales are rated “green”, meaning they are fully accessible. By contrast, almost half are rated “red” for poor accessibility.

Listing the barriers families face, Ms Asghar highlighted that 30% of sites lack accessible paths and nearly one in five have gates too narrow for wheelchairs. “Those are just two of the barriers preventing disabled children from accessing play,” she said.

Jane Dodds, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in Wales, argued the shocking statistics should be a wake-up call for Senedd politicians.

“To hear that 37% of disabled children in Wales say they never or hardly ever play outside should be a figure to stop us all in our tracks,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mike Hedges pointed out that Wales became the first country in the world to put a duty on councils to secure “sufficient play opportunities” for children in 2010.

And Julie Morgan, a fellow Labour backbencher, celebrated Cardiff becoming the UK’s first Unicef-accredited child-friendly city in 2023.

Dawn Bowden, the minister for children, pointed to £5m to improve playgrounds this year but she too was “disappointed” by play satisfaction figures falling from 84% to 71% since 2019.

She said the Welsh Government has provided a “toolkit” to Wales’ 22 councils, “ensuring a holistic outcome-focused approach” to inclusive and accessible play.

The cross-party motion, which called for play to be protected from cuts – as well as improved access for disabled children – was agreed unanimously but does not bind ministers.

THE UK GOVERNMENT has been accused of ditching “Pride in Place” for a “know-your-place” attitude and treating Wales with contempt in a fiery Senedd debate.

Rhun ap Iorwerth led the criticism, warning the will of the electorate has been “flagrantly ignored” by “at best inertia” and “at worst a concerted attempt” by UK ministers.

The Plaid Cymru leader pointed out that more than a third of Labour Senedd Members sent a letter to Keir Starmer, accusing the Prime Minister of rolling back devolution.

The letter, which was signed by 11 backbenchers, described a decision to “impose” policy on Wales as ranging from “deeply insensitive” to a “constitutional outrage”.

Their attack on Sir Keir’s government was prompted by the Pride in Place scheme which gives money to Welsh councils for town centre improvements – a wholly devolved area.

Calling for Wales to be treated equally, they wrote: “Why is the UK Government directly funding Welsh councils to fix bus shelters, reopen park toilets and provide bins?”

Leading the Plaid Cymru debate, Mr ap Iorwerth criticised the “contemptuous attitude” of successive governments in Westminster – whether red or blue.

He accused Jo Stevens, the Welsh secretary, of failing to stand up for Wales around the UK cabinet table and “campaigning against” Labour policy on devolving the crown estate.

Mr ap Iorwerth told the Senedd: “And now we learn the UK Government is bypassing devolution altogether with its Pride in Place funding.”

He warned: “It appears as if the much vaunted respect agenda between the Welsh and UK Governments only works one way: Westminster will do as it wants, Wales will do as it’s told.”

James Evans, for the Conservatives, described arguments about the devolution settlement as tiring and distracting from challenges faced by the people of Wales.

He said: “While politicians in this chamber argue over powers, structures and the constitution, hard-working people across Wales are asking a fair and simple question: what has the devolution of powers here actually delivered for me?

“After more than two decades of devolution, the Welsh Government already has extensive powers; the problem is not a lack of powers, the problem is a lack of results.”

Mr Evans warned people are losing faith in devolution due to a “tired” Labour government, “propped up” by Plaid Cymru – “pushing their left-wing, extreme socialist agenda”.

He argued: “There is nothing wrong with money going directly to those who can do the most, local authorities know their communities far better than ministers in Cathays Park.”

Labour’s Mike Hedges described Plaid Cymru policy as one of “salami-slicing” to independence by demanding powers “until there’s nothing left to devolve”.

Mr Hedges, who was among the letter’s signatories, pointed to Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that Wales is a net beneficiary of the union to the tune of £12bn to £15bn a year.

Adam Price, the ex-Plaid Cymru leader, said: “In July 2024, a Labour UK Government came into office promising change but, as far as devolution is concerned, we’ve had the opposite.”

He told the chamber Welsh ministers were unable to point to a single example of new powers having been transferred to the Senedd by the UK Government.

Mr Price pointed out that the Tory UK Government devolved powers over energy, rail, and income tax whereas Labour has delivered “no new powers at all”. He said: “It’s not Pride in Place, it’s ‘know your place’ as far as democracy is concerned.”

Alun Davies, a former minister who put his name to the letter, warned a report on devolution by former PM Gordon Brown has been “gathering dust”. “It’s a tragedy for the Labour party,” he said, adding: “It is not fair that Wales is treated the way it is.”

Jane Dodds, the Liberal Democrats’ leader in Wales, backed the Labour backbenchers as she criticised the non-devolution of the crown estate, policing and criminal justice.

Responding to the debate on Wednesday December 17, Huw Irranca-Davies pointed to slow and steady progress on devolution over decades – “tortuous as it has sometimes been”.

The Deputy First Minister, whose responsibilities include constitutional affairs, stressed Welsh Labour was taking forward devolution of water regulation, youth justice and probation. “We continue to be the government and the party of devolution,” he said.

In the final voting time before the Christmas break, Senedd Members rejected the Plaid Cymru motion – 37-13 – before passing the Welsh Government’s amended version. Mr ap Iorwerth accused Labour backbenchers of “capitulating” and being whipped into line.