Commentary on Sections The structure of the Act Section 4 – Progress reports
17.This section sets out the requirements for the preparation by the Scottish Ministers of regular BSL “progress reports”, which subsection (1) specifies must be laid before the Parliament and then published.
18.Subsection (2) specifies that a progress report should set out the Scottish Ministers’ views on their own progress in promoting BSL, and that of relevant public authorities, generally, in promoting BSL within their own particular areas of responsibility.
19.Subsections (3) and (4) relate to timing, with subsection (3)(a) requiring the first progress report to be laid before the Parliament within three years of the first National Plan being published and to report on the progress made in those three years (subsection (3)(b)). Subsequent progress reports are to be published at intervals of not more than six years (subsection (4)(a)) and are to relate to the progress since the last report (subsection (4)(b)).
20.Subsection (5) sets out the contents of the progress report, which is to document measures taken and outcomes attained in relation to the relevant National Plan and Authority Plans, and include examples of best practice and any examples of poor performance.
21.In assessing progress, the Scottish Ministers are to take account of “relevant” National Plans and Authority Plans. What these are in relation to a given plan is provided for in subsection (6). The Scottish Ministers must publish a progress report as soon as reasonably practicable after laying it before the Parliament (subsection (7)). Subsection (8) requires that the content of the progress report be made available in BSL as is the case for the National Plans and Authority Plans.