Subordinate Legislation Committee, 14 Nov 2000

Meeting date: Tuesday, November 14, 2000

Official Report 74KB pdf

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Education (National Priorities) (Scotland) Order 2000 (SSI 2000/draft)

Various points were raised on the order.

The legal adviser drew drafting problems to our attention. The preamble is perhaps insufficiently precise.

Also, article 3 states:

"The National priorities in education for the purposes of section 4(1) of the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc. Act 2000".

That is not quite accurate; it should state for the purposes of the act.

We should draw those points to the attention of the Executive.

It would be interesting to know what the Executive means by "lesser used languages."

That seems rather inflammatory; it is just as well that Fergus Ewing is not here to comment. Is "lesser used languages" the best definition to provide for Gaelic, given people's sensitivity on the matter?