Standing up for the rights of deaf people.

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 1st Jul 2008

Lib Dem Shadow MP for Wavertree, Colin Eldridge, is calling for a reduction in the price of TV licences for people who can't hear.

The campaigner is calling for the change in a motion to Liverpool City Council. He wants Liverpool to help persuade the Government that deaf people deserve the same reduction as that already given to people who can't see.

The text of the motion is below.

Council notes the recognition given by the Government to British Sign Language (BSL).

Council notes that people who are deaf from birth may have BSL as their primary language. Council notes the existence of a deaf community in Liverpool as well as the existence of deaf organisations for which the use of BSL is crucial.

Council notes that although there is an increasing amount of subtitling on British TV (which is to be welcomed), there are few programmes that carry BSL interpretation. While subtitling meets the needs of some deaf or hard-of-hearing people, it does not meet the needs of all.

Council notes that in order to recognise the restricted benefit of TV to blind people, blind people receive a 50 per cent reduction in the price of a TV license (which covers the cost of both TV and radio). There is however no similar reduction for deaf people who, even if they are satisfied with subtitling, clearly cannot benefit from radio.

Council therefore supports the campaign for a reduction in TV license fees for deaf people and agrees to lobby the Government, through relevant ministers, on this subject