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Police: Hearing Impairment

Asked by Juliet CampbellLabourHome OfficeTabled Answered 27 April 2026UIN 128133

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that police forces are able to communicate effectively with Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL).

Answered by Sarah Jones

Policing is operationally independent, and it is for Chief Constables to ensure that their forces are able to communicate effectively with all members of the public, including those who use British Sign Language.The National Police Language Services (NPLS) team oversees the procurement and provision of language and interpretation services for police forces across the UK.

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