Communications support for deaf or hearing impaired people: FOI release

Information requested

• How many booking requests were made in each of the last three years by government to external suppliers or contractors for the provision of communication support [such as Electronic Notetakers or Palantypists] being put in place as part of any government meeting or event where a deaf or hearing impaired person not using BSL was to attend and participate?
• How many of those booking requests for communication support at meetings or events were unfulfilled for whatever reason in each of the last three years?
• How many of those meetings or events where communication support was not possible were postponed to another date in each of the last three years?
• How many of those meetings or events where the requested communication support was not provided went ahead without the support being in place in each of the last three years?
• What was the cost to government of providing communication support for deaf or hearing impaired people attending and participating at meetings or events in each of the last three years?
• Where communication support was provided at meetings or events, how many of these were subject to formal checks for quality control purposes over each of the last three years?”

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested in Annex A.

ANNEX A

Below is information that is within the scope of your request. I would note that the Scottish Government does not hold a central record of communication support, however I received the following information from the business area that hired communication support for individual meetings. This therefore may not be a complete list but the Scottish Government is committed to release information where possible.

• How many booking requests were made in each of the last three years by government to external suppliers or contractors for the provision of communication support [such as Electronic Notetakers or Palantypists] being put in place as part of any government meeting or event where a deaf or hearing impaired person not using BSL was to attend and participate?
  32
• How many of those booking requests for communication support at meetings or events were unfulfilled for whatever reason in each of the last three years?
  2
• How many of those meetings or events where communication support was not possible were postponed to another date in each of the last three years?
  This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Notwithstanding the searches I conducted, there is no business need to retain this information
• How many of those meetings or events where the requested communication support was not provided went ahead without the support being in place in each of the last three years?
  This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Notwithstanding the searches I conducted, there is no business need to retain this information.
• What was the cost to government of providing communication support for deaf or hearing impaired people attending and participating at meetings or events in each of the last three years?
  £6907.90
• Where communication support was provided at meetings or events, how many of these were subject to formal checks for quality control purposes over each of the last three years?
  This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. Again, I conducted relevant searches, however, there is no business need to retain this information.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.