Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons his Department decided not to commission an independent body to conduct the market review of British Sign Language interpreters.

The review does not intend to make recommendations but to obtain a clearer picture of current and projected supply and demand for stakeholders, including DWP to consider in future policy design. It is more cost effective to lead the market review of communication support within DWP than commission this work externally. A call for evidence to which all stakeholders may contribute will be launched shortly.