Gaelic Language Plan
The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-3324, in the name of Linda Fabiani, on the Gaelic language plan. [Interruption.] Could I have order please? Members who are leaving the chamber—please be quiet.
I have agreed to a request by a number of members, under rule 7.1.1, to speak in Scots Gaelic. Members should note that headphones for simultaneous interpretation are available at the back of the chamber.
I remind members that the Presiding Officers are no longer giving a one-minute warning before the end of each speech.
Feasgar math. Is e latha cudromach a tha ann airson Riaghaltas na h-Alba agus cùisean Gàidhlig. Tha sinn air a bhith ag obair gu dìcheallach airson taic a thoirt dhan Ghàidhlig ann an tòrr dhòighean—ann am foghlam, ealain, craoladh agus barrachd tron bhliadhna. An-diugh, tha sinn a' dol air adhart le plana Gàidhlig Riaghaltas na h-Alba.
Good afternoon. This is a very important day for the Scottish Government and for Gaelic matters. We have been working hard to support Gaelic in many ways: in education, in the arts, in broadcasting and more throughout the year. Today, we are taking another step with the Scottish Government's Gaelic plan.
I am pleased to announce today that the Scottish Government has published its consultation paper for our draft Gaelic language plan. I am very pleased with it, and I hope that everyone else in the chamber is, too—apart from with the inevitable drafting error, which has now been corrected. I apologise for that.
Gaelic belongs to Scotland and is a unique and essential part of the rich cultural life of Scotland, so we must ensure that we take the necessary steps to secure its place in the future. The Scottish Government has made its position very clear: we came to Government with a strong programme of ambitious Gaelic commitments, on which we are making good and steady progress. My hope is that those commitments and initiatives, and the increased funding that we are putting in place, will improve the status and appeal of the language. I hope that they will also lead to an increase in use of Gaelic in the home, at school, in the community, at the workplace, in the arts and in public life generally.
Along with five others, the Scottish Government was one of the initial public bodies to receive a notice to produce a Gaelic language plan by Bòrd na Gàidhlig. The Scottish Government's Gaelic language plan sets out the measures to be taken in relation to use of Gaelic within Government. It will set out how the Scottish Government will use, and enable use of, Gaelic in delivery of its services.
The Scottish Government's Gaelic language plan will include commitments in relation to our corporate identity, our communications, our publications and our staffing. It will outline measures that we have put in place to support the promotion of Gaelic throughout Scotland, which are aimed at raising the status of Gaelic, promoting the use of Gaelic and encouraging learning of Gaelic.
With our Gaelic plan, the Scottish Government will seek to raise awareness about, and to improve the status of Gaelic. I am pleased to announce that we hope to recruit a new Gaelic language plan development officer, who will have responsibility for implementing the plan and monitoring progress.
I have been impressed with agencies such as Historic Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the National Library of Scotland, which have begun work on their Gaelic language plans without having received formal notification. I encourage other bodies to do the same. Of course, other Scottish public authorities—Highland Council, Argyll and Bute Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Parliament—have prepared Gaelic language plans and are moving forward with their implementation. Other bodies, including Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, Learning and Teaching Scotland, the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council, Glasgow City Council and City of Edinburgh Council, are following suit. I congratulate all those bodies for their efforts. I am confident that Gaelic plans have improved the status and have increased awareness and use of Gaelic throughout Scotland. There will be further progress as more plans are prepared and finalised.
There continues to be a need for expansion in Gaelic-medium education, which is vital to support growth in the number of Gaelic speakers. There has been good progress on Gaelic-medium education and important commitments have been made in Gaelic plans. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's Gaelic plan contains a commitment to provide Gaelic-medium education as mainstream primary provision. Highland Council's Gaelic plan contains a commitment to open a further two dedicated Gaelic schools—it has decided to move forward on the issue in Portree and Fort William. Discussions are also on-going about the possibility of a dedicated Gaelic school in Edinburgh. I take this opportunity to support the proposal and to remind councils of the Scottish Government's support for the establishment of dedicated Gaelic schools. The developments that I have described are good and welcome, and we need to maintain momentum.
The Scottish Government has very much demonstrated its clear support for Gaelic education. We have increased our support for Gaelic-medium education throughout Scotland, and the Government's funding for resources to support teachers and pupils in Gaelic education is at an unprecedented level. A major review of Gaelic early years education was commissioned earlier this month. There can be no question about our commitment to Gaelic education in Scotland. The amendment in Pauline McNeill's name acknowledges the need for
"continued investment in and expansion of Gaelic-medium education."
That expansion is continuing and should continue in the future.
The presence of Gaelic in our lives enriches us all, so it is essential that there be a living language community to support Gaelic. We must therefore give thought to how we will strengthen and grow that community. The language is in a fragile condition and I believe that we are at a critical point for Gaelic in Scotland. I am encouraged by the desire to support Gaelic that I find in Scottish public life, not least in the Parliament, where the issue enjoys cross-party support. I am encouraged, too, by the commitment and vitality of Gaelic speakers, learners and supporters.
Efforts to keep the language fresh and current can be illustrated by recent developments, including the online Gaelic natural history database, "Faclan Nàdair", which was launched today by Scottish Natural Heritage. Such developments are encouraging. We welcome the success of MG Alba and we are all working together to ensure that the BBC Alba channel can be seen on Freeview, to the benefit of everyone in the country. There are encouraging signs in the Gaelic education sector, in the ambitious work of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and in the development by Bòrd na Gàidhlig of public authority Gaelic plans. Our duty is to maintain that progress, to use the initiatives that have been put in place and to work to ensure a secure future for Gaelic so that the language has its rightful place in Scotland.
I am aware that I have more time for speaking, but I will not use it because it is important that other members can contribute fully to the debate. I hope to be able to respond to what they say. I look forward very much to receiving responses from members and others—individuals, organisations and public and private bodies right across the country—about the contents of our plan. We are here to listen to what people say.
I move,
That the Parliament recognises that Gaelic is an integral part of Scotland's heritage, national identity and current cultural life; welcomes and supports the launch of the consultation on the Scottish Government's draft Gaelic Language Plan, and acknowledges the work being carried out on the implementation of other Gaelic language plans by Argyll and Bute Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Edinburgh City Council, Glasgow City Council, Highland Council, the Scottish Parliament and Highland and Islands Enterprise.
I congratulate the minister on her Gaelic introduction. I will save my effort for my summing up, to give me a chance to practise. It sounds like the minister has been practising much longer than I have, so well done.
The establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 was instrumental in boosting the campaign to preserve, protect and promote the Gaelic language. Devolution itself has the greatest potential to halt the decline of the language, not only because Parliament has the powers to boost our commitment to the language, but because it creates, as we have seen, a regular forum for MSPs to discuss and monitor the progress of Gaelic development and to practise occasionally their own Gaelic. We have the right to conduct parliamentary proceedings in Gaelic. We can lodge motions or parliamentary questions in Gaelic, or speak the language that is some members' first language, which all adds to the improved status and exposure of Gaelic.
The previous Labour-Liberal Administration was committed to creating a statutory provision to promote Gaelic and so it introduced the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill. Members will recall that it had cross-party support. In opposition now, we are pleased to support the present Government in continuing that work. The challenge for the Government is in how to use the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 ambitiously so that it can be as effective as possible.
We all know that Gaelic is in decline. It has skipped generations in some families and there is a battle to maintain the language and, indeed, to reverse the decline. It is not simply that we think that every Scot should speak Gaelic; rather, our objectives are that we do not lose Gaelic as part of the heritage of Scots, that communities who speak Gaelic as their first language can continue to pass it on with confidence, and that every Scot has the opportunity to be exposed to and to learn the language. The strategy must first be about preventing its decline, and I believe that that is the biggest challenge.
As we have discussed previously, the greatest concentration of Gaelic speakers is in the greater Glasgow area, which is not always people's first thought. We know from the 2001 census that there has been progress because the overall numbers who can read, write and speak Gaelic have increased. I hope that the 2011 census will show evidence of further progress. Two and a half thousand primary and secondary schoolchildren are taught in Gaelic-medium education and we have 700 children in Gaelic-medium nurseries.
It is important to discuss how to reverse the decline in the language and how to promote the idea that there should be more Gaelic speakers, and identifying how we can achieve such growth will be central. The Gaelic language plans that public bodies are expected to produce and consult on are an important starting point for the growth strategy.
The Glasgow Gaelic school in my constituency, which I spoke about in a members' business debate not so long ago, has already made a significant contribution to sustaining the language. The minister talked about the possible establishment of a Gaelic-medium education school in Edinburgh, so we can see that the trend in favour of such education is increasing.
Providing Gaelic-medium education is, however, a challenge for local authorities, particularly its expansion in secondary education. The establishment of the Glasgow Gaelic school is in no small measure due to the work as a minister of Peter Peacock, who will speak later in the debate, and to that of the education authority, which had the will to create the Glasgow school. It could have chosen not to put resources into it, but I am glad that it did.
Provision of resources for the school is a challenge for the authority, but I am happy to say that the school is teaching in Gaelic secondary education maths, history, geography, religious education, French, biology and physics. However, it has not been possible to get Gaelic-medium teachers for other subjects, so that remains a challenge.
I have always been adamant in my view about the school, because it is in Anderston in my constituency—although not many local children go to it. I am, however, promoting the school as an option for local children, because they would benefit from going there. We know that such learning makes children more likely to speak other languages. That is positive and I am proud of that development.
I will address the Government's plan. The principle of equal respect for Gaelic and English does not mean identical treatment. We have the right principle, which is to support Gaelic development to the greatest extent that is appropriate in each public body. That is why the Government's plan considers whether using Gaelic signage or Gaelic in other forms is appropriate to different aspects of Government departments and Government life.
We must explore other ways of communicating in Gaelic to fit with our objective. We must explore other means of communication in schools and colleges and expanding that on the internet, television and radio. Members might have read in the Sunday Herald that an online Gaelic dictionary has been developed. A colossal three volumes have been uploaded, which has taken more than 10 years. Can you imagine that? That is a real achievement for Bauer and Robertson, who also plan to make the dictionary a resource on Wikipedia. That is important because teaching Gaelic in schools will not be enough; we must find other ways to normalise the Gaelic language. The minister e-mailed me about the social networking site mygaelic.com, which shows that Gaelic can be normalised. The opportunity also exists for Gaelic speakers to participate in Facebook in Gaelic.
The Labour amendment supports the Government's position and adds our support for BBC Alba and for expanding the provision of Gaelic-medium education, which we have discussed. BBC Alba can significantly normalise Gaelic, because it broadcasts for at least part of each day. It means that Gaelic speakers can access good programmes. Non-Gaelic speakers are also beginning to tune into the channel, because it chooses to broadcast programmes that many people want to see. Good on it for broadcasting women's football and the traditional music awards. BBC Alba is an exciting venture that should be supported. As the minister said, the sooner the service is available on Freeview, the better. Some Gaelic speakers who do not have access to BBC Alba would be able to access it if it were on Freeview, so we support that campaign.
A key objective of the Government's plan is to create the conditions for use of Gaelic in public life and to examine ways of doing that. The policy is not to achieve bilingualism, but to apply the objective practically. I talked about Gaelic signage—the Government's plan talks about Government departments in which using Gaelic signage would be appropriate. The availability of Gaelic-speaking staff in Government departments when appropriate will be an important development. Having a prescribed list of organisations that prefer in the first instance to communicate in Gaelic is good. The plan also suggests having a Gaelic option on the Government's automated switchboard. We support all those practical measures in the Government's plan, which can be done and which would normalise the language.
Labour believes that it is important to promote and preserve Gaelic in Scottish life. I do not speak Gaelic but, as a significant number of Gaels live in Glasgow and in Glasgow Kelvin, I am proud to be associated with the campaign to keep Gaelic as a part of Scottish life, culture and heritage. If the Government is ambitious and uses the 2005 act to achieve that objective, we can halt the decline in the language and make it an everyday way for Gaelic speakers to communicate, not just in schools, but around the country in everything that is done.
I will support the Government's motion. I move amendment S3M-3324.1, to insert at end:
"; further welcomes the boost to the language provided by the establishment of BBC Alba, and calls for continued investment in and expansion of Gaelic-medium education."
Feasgar math agus mòran taing. Tha mi glè thoilichte a bhith a' bruidhinn air Gàidhlig.
Good afternoon and thank you. I am very happy to be here talking about Gaelic.
I will limit my Gaelic introduction to those few words—a hurtful friend from Berneray asked me whether I was trying to speak Japanese in Alasdair Allan's recent members' business debate.
Despite limited personal progress in canan nan Gaidheal—the tongue of the Gael—the general revival of the language and culture is impressive, but there is still much snobbishness around. I recall the story of a Sassenach who rubbished Gaelic in a bar in Portree: "And why is there no Gaelic word for television?" he demanded, "or photograph, or helicopter?" The bartender confessed, "You're right. We Gaels use the Greek words—just like you do in English."
Of course, Gaelic is one of the oldest languages in Europe and, like English, it happily borrows words from other languages when they convey modern concepts succinctly, but that does not mean that the language is in any way inferior or less worthy of support. I would argue similarly in support of the Scottish tongue, which Robert Burns called a dialect and which the minister prefers to call a language—but let us not argue about nomenclature.
I also welcome the opportunity to commend the Government for its commitment to expand provision of the richly diverse mode of communication that is Scots. Any society is poorer and its culture diminished when it loses any of its traditional means of expression: that applies as much to Scots as it does to Gaelic.
Scottish Conservatives have nothing to apologise for in our commitment to Gaelic language and culture. The then Tory Secretary of State for Scotland, Malcolm Rifkind, provided back in 1990 £8 million annually to set up the Gaelic television fund. That sum has now matured into the £12.4 million that the Scottish Government contributes to BBC Alba. The new Gaelic channel has been extremely successful in its first few months and has regularly attracted more than 600,000 viewers. We remain convinced that the best way to maintain and strengthen Gaelic is through the twin pillars of education and broadcasting.
We note that a number of public authorities are preparing or implementing Gaelic language plans, that four of those have received formal approval from Bòrd na Gàidhlig—the official body for promoting the language—and that the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament are among those that are currently implementing Gaelic language plans. We welcome the Government's own draft plan and are happy to take part in the consultation.
However, although we support the promotion of Gaelic where appropriate—that includes all the bodies that are preparing Gaelic language plans—we believe that it would not be sensible to force Gaelic on to reluctant communities. That is all the more important during the current economic downturn. There is much good will towards Gaelic: as we have heard, there has been a vast increase in the number of pupils who access Gaelic-medium primary education, not least in the central belt, and we recognise Glasgow's huge Gaelic population. We would not like to see that good will dissipated by spending commitments in communities that have no immediate connections to, or sympathy with, the culture.
We should remember that many schools throughout Scotland, including some that are within minutes of Parliament, are in a shocking state of disrepair, with councils claiming that they do not have the funds to bring them up to basic standards. Any spending on what may be perceived as non-essential initiatives outwith the bodies that are already committed to Gaelic language plans could work against the successful future that we rightly seek for the language and culture.
Although we generally welcome the Scottish Government's proposals, ministers should recall that there is no native Gaelic speaker who does not also understand English. Of course, we want the language to flourish and to be given the same respect as English, and it is desirable that certain front-of-house staff in Government reception areas are conversant in Gaelic. Let the Government, by all means, try to recruit more Gaelic-speaking staff where Gaelic is an add-on to other required qualifications, but it must avoid provoking any kind of resentment from the non-Gaelic or cosmopolitan community. For example, we are less convinced that fluent Gaelic speakers should be available on tap, as seems to be suggested in the draft Gaelic language plan, to answer public queries in Government offices. My advice to the minister in this context is—in the Scottish idiom—to ca canny.
Creative Scotland should be encouraged to build on the excellent Gaelic work that has been done over the years by the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen.
Visit Scotland also has a key role in promoting tourism through the language and culture of the Gael. Few will object to official brochures, press releases and the like being printed in Gaelic as well as English and we should, of course, let the Government work towards a bilingual corporate logo. Gaelic deserves an increased profile in Scottish public life after centuries of discrimination. However, let us be sensible and realistic in our aims and objectives.
Finally, I would like to say another word about BBC Alba. I have watched many hours of its programming, including—I must declare an interest here—a little documentary of my own, which went out on hogmanay, about the sinking of the troop-ship Iolaire off Stornoway in 1919. I think that the new channel does a great job, including the promotion of Gaelic song and music. However, as a matter of urgency—as the minister herself has said—the BBC trust must allow the channel to compete on equal terms with other mainstream television providers and must not be limited only to those who have satellite dishes. BBC Alba can play a key role in introducing non-Gaels to the language, which will be a vital part of the continuing revival.
This point is not for lengthy reiteration this afternoon, but I remain convinced that, further down the road, a key ingredient in turning the language round will be immersion education in the Gaelic heartlands. Such strategies have been shown to work in Ireland and Wales, and I am sure that they would work in the Gàidhealtachd as well. That argument is for another day.
I welcome the Scottish Government's draft Gaelic plan, with the provisos that I have outlined. We shall be supporting the motion and Pauline McNeill's amendment this afternoon.
Tha mi toilichte agus pròiseil gu bheil deasbad againn an-diugh ann an Gàidhlig. Tha mi pròiseil dha-rìribh gun do thòisich am ministear a' chiad phàirt dhen òraid aice ann an Gàidhlig—ceum mòr air adhart. Mòran taing, a mhinisteir.
Aig toiseach ghnothaichean, feumaidh mi ràdh gu bheil mi an comain an Riaghaltais airson lethbhreac den chomhairleachadh a thoirt dhomh ro-làimh. Tha mi toilichte gu bheil e air fhoillseachadh. Tha e follaiseach gu bheil an Riaghaltas air an rathad cheart a thaobh a bhith a' daingneachadh a' chànain—a tha fhathast ann an suidheachadh gu math cugallach—mar phàirt de dhualchas na h-Alba air fad. Tha e a dhìth gun tèid a' Ghàidhlig a neartachadh agus a dhaingneachadh ann an Alba. Nuair a thèid am plana nàiseanta a chur ri chèile, feumaidh nach bithear a' gabhail gnothaich ris a' chànan dìreach ann an siud is ann an seo.
Tha e deatamach gum bithear ag aithneachadh nach eil a' Ghàidhlig na cànan a bhuineas dìreach dhan Ghàidhealtachd fhèin—dh'fhairich sinn dhà no trì a thog an aon bheachd nas tràithe anns an deasbad an-diugh. Tha an dàrna cuid de luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig a' fuireach ann an àiteachan eile, leithid na bailtean mòra mar Dhùn Èideann is Glaschu, no ann an teis-mheadhan na h-Alba.
Tha an dreachd phlana Gàidhlig na sgrìobhainn a tha gu follaiseach coileanta—mar a bhios am plana fhèin, tha mi an dùil, nuair a thèid fhoillseachadh agus a chur an gnìomh—ach tha e cudromach ciamar a thèid am plana a chur an sàs anns na h-àiteachan ionadail. Is e an clàr-obrach nàiseanta an t-àite as cudromaiche gus a' Ghàidhlig a thoirt seachad. Ma thèid a' Ghàidhlig a stèidheachadh ann am foghlam, faodar a sgaoileadh ann an àiteachan eile an dèidh sin—tha sin follaiseach gu leòr—mar a tha a' tachairt mar-thà.
Mar sin dheth, tha mi a' cur fàilte air amas Riaghaltas na h-Alba ri bhith a' cur ri ìre luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig ann an Alba. Bu mhath leam tarraing a thoirt air dòigh no dhà anns am faod sin a thoirt gu buil. Ann am foghlam Gàidhlig, tha mi den bheachd gu bheil e gu math cudromach gun tèid barrachd cuideam a chur air comas labhairt anns a' chànan. Is dòcha gu bheil sin a cheart cho buntainneach ri bhith a' teagasg cànan sam bith eile anns an Rìoghachd Aonaichte. Dh'fhaodar a ràdh gu bheil cus cuideam an-diugh ga chur air gràmar is litreachadh agus nach eil gu leòr air a chur air labhairt sa chànan.
Anns na sgoiltean, ma tha sinn ag iarraidh faicinn ann an dòigh dha-rìribh gun soirbhich leinn le teagasg na Gàidhlig, feumaidh sinn a bhith ga cur an coimeas ri cho math 's a tha a' dol leinn le cànanan eile, leithid Fraingis. A thaobh teagasg cànain, tha mise den bheachd gur e an t-ionnsachadh òg an t-ionnsachadh a tha buan agus bòidheach—is coma cò an cànan a tha ann. Bu mhath leam an t-adhartas a thathar air a dhèanamh le teagasg na Gàidhlig a chur an coimeas ris an adhartas ann an cànanan eile leithid clàr MLPS—tha sin a' ciallachadh "modern languages in primary schools" ann am Beurla. An coimeas ri sin, chan eil GLPS—ann am Beurla, "Gaelic language in primary schools"—ri fhaotainn fhathast ann an gu leòr de sgoiltean, fiu 's air a' Ghàidhealtachd. Ach thig sin, tha mi an dòchas.
Ann a bhith a' feuchainn ri an cànan a ghleidheadh airson nan ginealach ri thighinn, bu mhath leam gum biodh ullachaidhean sa phlana gus an teagasg a leudachadh anns na h-àrd-sgoiltean agus ann am foghlam adhartach. Bidh na tha an dàn don Ghàidhlig a' crochadh air na h-àireamhan de luchd-teagaisg na Gàidhlig a bhios rim faotainn. Ged a chaidh an àireamh am meud ann an teis-mheadhan nan 1990an—bho àm fèin-riaghlaidh—tha àireamhan an luchd-teagaisg air a bhith aig an aon ìre. Sin rud a tha dìreach na bhriseadh-dùil. Gus sin a dhèanamh, saoilidh mi gum feum ullachaidhean a bhith sa phlana gum bi riarachadh a bharrachd de chùrsaichean-bogaidh a dh'fhaodas a' Ghàidhlig ionnsachadh do luchd-teagaisg. Tha na h-ullachaidhean a tha ann an-dràsta an crochadh tuilleadh 's a chòrr air luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig a bhith ag iarraidh teagasg. Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba ag amas air sgoiltean Gàidhlig fa leth a stèidheachadh gus àrainneachd foghlaim Gàidhlig a chruthachadh. Bidh soirbheas a' phlana seo a' crochadh air àireamhan de luchd-teagaisg le Gàidhlig a tha rim faotainn.
Seach gum bi mi a' dèanamh aithris às leth a' phàrtaidh agam fhìn, cumaidh mi orm feasgar. Tha mi den bheachd gu bheil an dreachd a chaidh a chur nur làthair na oidhirp dha-rìribh le Riaghaltas na h-Alba gus prògram Gàidhlig a chur an gnìomh airson na h-Alba. Mòran taing.
I am very happy to be taking part in this debate on Gaelic, and I am very proud of the minister, who gave the first part of her speech in Gaelic. That is a big step forward. Many thanks, minister.
First, I would like to thank the Government for giving me an advance copy of the consultation. I welcome its publication. It is clear that the Government is going in the right direction when it comes to securing the future of the language as part of Scotland's national heritage. The Gaelic language is still very fragile and must be strengthened and become embedded. When a national plan is developed, the language must not just be tacked on as an afterthought.
As was said earlier, it is vital to acknowledge that Gaelic belongs not only to the Highlands. Half of all Gaelic speakers live in the central belt and in cities such as Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Clearly, the draft Gaelic language plan is comprehensive. When the plan is published and enacted, the most important thing will be how it is then delivered. The most important way of delivering the plan will be through the national curriculum. If Gaelic is established through the education system, it can then be sown through the rest of society. As is obvious, that is happening already.
I welcome the Scottish Government's aims to promote a growing number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland, and I would like to suggest a few ways in which that might be achieved. In Gaelic education, it will be important to put greater emphasis on the ability to speak the language. That is a basic point that would apply to the teaching of any other language. Too much emphasis can be put on grammar and writing, and not enough on the spoken word.
If we really want to see how we are doing in the teaching of Gaelic, we must remember how well we are doing with other languages, such as French. I believe that the teaching of languages at a young age is the way forward, and can greatly benefit a child's education. I would therefore like Gaelic language provision to be equal to any other language provision. For example, the modern languages in primary schools programme should be compared with its Gaelic equivalent, which still only has limited availability, even in the Highlands. I hope that the situation will improve. In order to secure the language for future generations, I would like the plan to include provisions for the expansion of tuition in secondary and further education.
The long-term future of Gaelic will be underpinned by the availability of Gaelic teachers. Although numbers of Gaelic teachers grew in the 1990s, they have remained at the same level since devolution. In order to ensure that we have more Gaelic teachers, the plan must include provision for more immersion courses that will teach Gaelic to teachers. Current arrangements rely heavily on Gaelic speakers wanting to teach. The Scottish Government is aiming to establish dedicated Gaelic schools. The success of that plan will depend on the number of Gaelic-speaking teachers in the education system.
I will listen to what is said in this afternoon's debate, but I believe that the draft plan represents a serious effort by the Scottish Government to implement a Gaelic programme for Scotland.
Tha mi a' toirt fàilte chridheil gu òraid a' mhinisteir, gu plana Gàidhlig an Riaghaltais agus dhan chonaltradh a tha a' fosgladh an-diugh. Tha mi an dòchas gum bi a h-uile duine ann aig a' chèilidh bhig air a' chuspair sin ann an seòmar comataidh 3 aig 6 uairean.
Anns a' chiad dol a-mach, agus ann an dòigh neònach, tha e a' toirt misneachd dhòmhsa gu bheil an Riaghaltas ag aithneachadh anns a' phlana cànain gu bheil suidheachadh na Gàidhlig air leth lag, mar a thuirt Iain Fearchar Rothach. Carson a bhithinn toillichte sin a chluinntinn? Uill, a chionn 's gu bheil e fìor agus a chionn 's gu bheil mi toillichte gu bheil am plana a' dèiligeadh ri cùisean mar a tha iad. Mar eisimpleir, chan eil àite sam bith anns an t-saoghal a tha nas Gàidhealaiche na na Hearradh. Tha beul-aithris prìseil aig an àite. Tha Gàidhlig làidir anns a' choimhearsnachd fhathast. Tha dealbh eadardhealaichte air fad ann, ge-tà, nuair a bheir sinn sùil air an t-suidheachadh am measg nan daoine òga. Ged a tha tòrr dhaoine ag obair gu math cruaidh airson na Gàidhlig anns an sgìre, seo na figearan: tha 117 sgoilearan anns na bun-sgoiltean anns na Hearradh. Tha mi a' creidsinn gu bheil 15 no 16 dhiubh a' dol dhan sgoil tro mheadhan na Ghàidhlig.
Tha mi toillichte gu bheil an Riaghaltas ag aithneachadh dè cho cugallach 's a tha cor a' chànain. Bhiodh eagal mòr orm nan robh am plana a' tòiseachadh le sgeul gun robh a h-uile rud gu math agus gu dòigheil ann an saoghal na Gàidhlig. Ciamar a bhios sinn a' tionndadh air ais tancair-ola na Gàidhlig bho na creagan? Tha mi a' creidsinn gu bheil an Riaghaltas a' dèanamh dà rud glè chudromach an-diugh airson na Gàidhlig. Airson aon rud, tha am plana cànain a' togail suas inbhe na Gàidhlig taobh a-staigh an Riaghaltais fhèin. Nas cudromaiche, ge-tà, tha e a' toirt taic dhan Ghàidhlig taobh a-muigh togalaichean na seirbheis catharra.
Tha e math a chluinntinn gum bi spèis agus inbhe nas àirde aig a' Ghàidhlig anns an Riaghaltas ann an dòigh ìomhaigheil agus barrachd air ìomhaigheil. Tha e cudromach gum bi an Riaghaltas ag ràdh gum bi e a' meudachadh àireamh de dh'fhoillseachaidhean a tha rim faotainn sa Ghàidhlig. Tha e soilleir gum bi a' Ghàidhlig aig chridhe "dearbh-aithne chorporra" an Riaghaltais agus anns a h-uile template eileagtronaigeach a tha an Riaghaltas a' cleachdadh. Bidh a' Ghàidhlig na phàirt àbhaisteach ann an obair an Riaghaltais, nuair a bhios ministearan a' toirt freagairt gu puist-dealain a tha a' tighinn a-steach anns a' chànan no ann am fiosan naidheachd. Carson a tha an stuth sin cudromach? Uill, na aonar, chan eil e cudromach, ach tha mi a' smaoineachadh gu bheil e riatanach. Am measg adhbharan eile, tha cuid de dhaoine òga a' cur an cùlaibh ris a' Ghàidhlig a chionn 's gu bheil iad a' creidsinn nach eil ùidh sam bith aig Alba mar dhùthaich anns a' Ghàidhlig. Mar a bha am ministear ag ràdh, tha BBC Alba ag atharrachadh nam beachdan sin agus tha an t-atharrachadh dhan mholadh ag aithneachadh sin cuideachd. Tha e cudromach gu bheil an Riaghaltas ag aithneachadh an aon rud anns an dòigh obrach a tha aige.
A' tionndadh dhan dàrna pàirt den phlana, tha an Riaghaltas a' toirt taic làidir dhan Ghàidhlig anns a' choimhearsnachd fhèin, le bhith: a' meudachadh air cleachdadh na Gàidhlig anns an dachaigh; a' meudachadh air na tha ri fhaotainn de dh'fhoghlam tro mheadhan na Gaidhlig; a' meudachadh cleachdadh a' chànain anns a' choimhearsnachd. Mar eisimpleir, tha an Riaghaltas a' cumail siostam thabartasan sònraichte gu foghlam Gàidhlig agus a' toirt airgead a-steach gus aonadan Gàidhlig agus sgoiltean Gàidhlig ùra a leasachadh. Tha barrachd airgid ann airson Bòrd na Gàidhlig airson nam prìomh phròiseactan aige, ma gheibh—thathar a' tuigsinn—buidseat an Riaghaltais taic anns a' Phàrlamaid mu dheireadh thall. Tha e inntinneach cuideachd gum bi an Riaghaltas a' cur stiùireadh a-mach don roinn phoblaich mun dleastanas a tha oirre fo Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005. Tha e na dheagh chomharradh gum bi a' Ghàidhlig air a "mhainstreamadh" ann am poileasaidh an Riaghaltais. Tha taic aig an Riaghaltas airson na Gàidhlig gun teagamh sam bith, agus bha e furasta fhaicinn aig deasbad nam ball a bha agam o chionn goirid gu bheil an aon sheòrsa taic am measg nam pàrtaidhean air fad.
Ann an dòigh, ge tà, tha an Riaghaltas direach a' tòiseachadh leis a' phàirt as inntinniche den deasbad seo, a thachras anns a' chonaltradh às dèidh an-diugh. Tha mi cinnteach gum bi an conaltradh a' togail nan ceistean cudromach. Ciamar a bhios sinn a' meudachadh an àireamh de sgoilearan a tha a' dol tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig? Dè seòrsa co-obrachadh a bu chòir a bhith ann eadar an Riaghaltas, Bòrd na Gàidhlig agus comhairlean? Dè na targaidean a tha againn airson àireamh nan Gàidheal aig cunntas-sluaigh ann an 2011 no 2021?
Tha mi an dòchas gum bi saoghal na Gàidhlig air fad a' gabhail pàirt anns a' chonaltradh—bidh mise co-dhiù. Tha mi toilichte fàilte a chur air a' phlana a tha romhainn an-diugh.
I give a warm welcome to the minister's speech on the Gaelic plan and the consultation that starts today. I hope that everyone will take part in the associated event in committee room 3 at 7 o'clock.
In a strange way, it gives me confidence that the Government recognises that Gaelic is in a very weak state, as John Farquhar Munro said. Why would I be happy about that? Because we have a plan that deals with things as they are. For instance, there is no place in the world that is more Gaelic than Harris—there is wonderful folklore and Gaelic is still strong in the community—but an examination of the situation among the young people in the area paints a different picture. Although a lot of people are working hard to support the language among young people, only 15 or 16 of the 117 primary school pupils in Harris are going through Gaelic-medium education.
I am happy that the Government recognises how uncertain the state of the language is, and I would have been afraid if the plan had begun with an announcement of the good news that everything was going well in the Gaelic world. How are we going to turn the Gaelic oil tanker away from the rocks? I believe that the Government is doing two very important things today: first, the plan raises the status of Gaelic within the Government; secondly, and more important, it gives support to Gaelic outside the civil service buildings.
It is good to hear that there will be respect and higher status for Gaelic in the Government, and it is interesting that the Government says that it will increase the number of things done in Gaelic—it is obvious that Gaelic will be at the heart of the Government's corporate identity. Gaelic will play a huge part in the work of the Government, such as when ministers are answering e-mails and issuing press releases in Gaelic. On its own, that is not important, but it is necessary because, among other reasons, some of our young people are turning their back on the language because they believe that Scotland as a nation has no interest in Gaelic. BBC Alba is changing those opinions, as the minister said, and the practical recommendations in the plan will support that change. It is obvious that the Government has identified that issue.
I turn to the second part of the plan. The Government will give strong support to Gaelic in the community by increasing its use in the home, the amount that is received in education, and the amount that is spoken in the community. The plan says, for instance, that the Government will maintain the specific grants system to provide funding for Gaelic units and build new schools—if, that is, the Government's budget receives support at long last. The Government will send out a signal that Gaelic will be mainstreamed in Government policy. There is no doubt that the Government supports Gaelic, and it was evident from my members' debate that there was the same support among all the parties.
In a way, however, the Government is just beginning, and the most interesting part of the debate will come after today in the form of the consultation. I am sure that it will raise important questions—for example, on how we will increase the number of school pupils who are learning through the medium of Gaelic; the collaboration and co-operation that there ought to be among the Government, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and councils; and our targets for the number of Gaelic speakers in the 2011 and 2021 censuses.
I hope that the whole of the Gaelic world will take part in the consultation. I will do so, and I am happy to welcome the plan that is before us today.
I am happy to contribute to the debate. I have the honour of contributing a very small footnote to the history of this young Parliament—indeed, to the history of the Scottish Parliament in general—as I was the first person to speak in a debate in the Scottish Parliament in the proud language of my forebears. It is a language that played a critical part in the soundtrack of my childhood in Glasgow and Tiree.
In my maiden speech in 1999, I made the point that I spoke haltingly in Gaelic—and I speak it even less well now—because of attitudes to Gaelic in the Scotland that I grew up in. Active decisions were taken to minimise the use of Gaelic and to make no real provision for Gaelic education for the island and Highland diaspora in our cities. There were many like me who lost the language that they listened to and lived with every day, and there were people such as my grandmother, who through politeness and good manners often spoke in not her first but her second language, believing somehow that she needed to be the person who reached out in order to engage with other people.
During my childhood in Glasgow, the only provision for children like me was to go to interminable Gaelic classes, at which we learned exactly where Mary was—in front of the house, to the side of the house, or on the other side of the house—but which bore no relation to, or gave me any capacity to speak to my family in, the language in which they spoke to one another all the time.
I am glad that there seems to be a consensus on the need to address the question of Gaelic. Things were not always this way, and we should remember that. There was hostility, discrimination and lack of understanding that led to people losing the language that their forebears had treasured. While recognising the progress that has been made, we must recognise those problems, and we need to learn from the journey rather than presume that victory has been won.
I commend those who continue to put pressure on Government at every level in the fight to sustain their language. They have been innovative and creative in how they have tried to take the language forward. They have demanded that the needs of Gaelic-speaking communities be met both in the Highlands and in the cities. They have understood the power of harnessing Gaelic and its culture to address modern culture by giving the language a modern face in music, song and the arts. That has not just provided a renaissance in traditional Gaelic culture but enriched that culture and, indeed, all our cultures. That shows the diversity of cultures that have shaped modern Scotland.
On Ted Brocklebank's point, I think that Gaelic has a richness that Scotland can present to the world. It provides an economic interest for the tourism industry, which is helped by the fact that we have that diversity. As the very proud auntie of a nephew who is the Gaelic voice of Charlie in the children's television programme "Charlie and Lola", I know that Gaelic can exist in many places beyond the traditional ceilidh.
We must listen to those who understand the connection between the need to sustain Gaelic and the need to will the means for that to happen. There is a critical connection between the survival of Gaelic and support for Gaelic-medium education, and at the core of my speech is the recognition that Gaelic's fragility is not accidental and that making it secure cannot be accidental either. That presents a real challenge to every level of Government about how to act.
This is not a time to be feeble. I welcome the draft language plan, but I caution the minister not to listen to the quiet impossibilists who sometimes give advice to ministers. What we need is not assertion or appearance but some guarantees. The phenomenal progress in Gaelic-medium education and the consequential optimism for the language was due to active political decisions by the previous Administration, which are now being built on, and the courage of local authorities such as Glasgow City Council, which now has a Gaelic-medium nursery school, primary school and secondary school. In particular, we should recognise that the introduction of free nursery places accelerated the development of Gaelic by offering a critical place for Gaelic-medium education that has reached out not only to families in which Gaelic had been lost but, in a wonderful way, to families that had no prior connection with the language.
The minister will acknowledge the pressures that are on local government and the anxieties among equality groups generally about the vulnerability of soft budgets during a time of pressures. It is understandable that there is an anxiety about culture budgets, education budgets and other budgets that have supported the development of Gaelic, and I urge the minister to recognise the vulnerability of traditional Gaelic culture and how young people are reshaping it. Support is required at every level.
In my final minute, I want to make one or two points about BBC Alba. We celebrate the channel's early success, and we recognise its critical role and its potential in sustaining the language. I commend Alasdair Allan—I am not one who is often gracious in the chamber—for becoming an accomplished Gaelic speaker from a starting point of zero.
The minister is a gracious person, but I regret her ungracious remarks about the public appointment of Alasdair Morrison as chair of MG Alba. Whatever her views on his politics, I am sure that she recognises his intelligence, energy and abiding passion for his native tongue. I hope that she will assure us today that the Scottish Government will do everything that it can to support BBC Alba, given its potential to normalise Gaelic in our communities.
The minister must recognise that the evident awareness of Scottishness that Gaelic presents is as much about celebrating the differences in our culture as recognising the commonality of some of our traits and characteristics. This is an opportunity to reaffirm the important role of Gaelic in celebrating what everyone brings to the table and what makes us different and distinct—that is critical to our capacity to celebrate all of Scotland's cultures.
I commend the minister for the consultation on the draft language plan, and I look forward to her continuing energy in supporting this precious language.
Like all other members in this debate, I warmly welcome the motion and the amendment. It is essential that we recognise the importance of the Gaelic language and culture in Scotland today. However, unlike all the other members who have spoken so far, I am not going to attempt to speak any Gaelic. Despite my passion for Scotland's Munros, I have never mastered Gaelic and it would be purgatorial for members to have to listen to my attempts to speak it.
I come from a party that, as Ted Brocklebank rightly said, has given considerable support to Gaelic in the past. The Scottish Conservatives have always understood that Gaelic is an essential part of our heritage and, indeed, our social fabric. If nothing else, it is important to reassure the 58,000 or so people who speak Gaelic that they have the Parliament's full support. That number is very close to the figure of 50,000, which is regarded as the minimum number of speakers who are needed to sustain a language. In the light of the decline that took place in the 1990s, they need that reassurance for the reasons that Johann Lamont set out in her thought-provoking speech.
It is also important to congratulate all those who have been involved in preparing the draft Scottish Government Gaelic language plan consultation paper—that is as difficult for me to pronounce as the Gaelic—which has been launched today. The plan will join others from various public bodies to ensure that the recommendations of the national plan for Gaelic are met. It is good that the Gaelic board is making such progress. I understand that the next tranche of public bodies to be asked for their Gaelic plans will be the national education organisations. I am pleased about that because education is so important for the future of the language.
On such an occasion it is important to mention the progress of Gaelic-medium education and of Gaelic education in general. The growth in the development of Gaelic-medium education is one of the great success stories of Scottish education in the past 25 years. More than 2,000 children throughout Scotland are now taught through the medium of Gaelic, and the exciting development is the fact that so many of them are in primary schools.
We welcome the development of new Gaelic schools in Glasgow and Inverness. Research has shown the benefits of bilingualism in the intellectual development of young people, and it is critical to the survival of the language that growth continues. The fact that it has taken place largely in the nursery and primary school sectors is a reflection of the marked improvement in the facilities that are available in schools such as Sleat primary school in Skye. That is a perfect example of what can be done.
As members have said, the worry is that, with budget cuts and times of economic uncertainty ahead, that progress will not be continued, so we must ensure that the children who have been taught through the medium of Gaelic at primary school can develop their language skills at secondary school. Much effort has been made in the recent past to recruit more Gaelic-speaking teachers. Although that has been relatively successful at primary school level, we desperately need to attract more teachers into secondary schools, not just to teach Gaelic but to teach other subjects through the medium of Gaelic. We must not lose the momentum that has been built up in the primary school sector; it would be a great shame if we could not continue it in secondary schools. That is a major area to be tackled, which will depend heavily on improvements in local authority workforce planning.
The Scottish Government's draft education plan mentions its commitment to the adoption of Murdo Fraser's proposal to introduce a legislative presumption against the closure of rural schools. That is very good news for the schools and communities where Gaelic has been a traditional feature.
The Scottish Conservatives are hugely supportive of the Government's ambition to support Gaelic speakers and to promote Gaelic in schools and in our arts and culture. Although it can never be right to force any language on a reluctant community, we believe firmly that parents should have the right to educate their children in the language of their choice. That is why we fully support the motion. I look forward to more success in Gaelic education in the future, and I am pleased that we can lend our support to the minister.
As a Highlands and Islands representative, I realise Gaelic's potential to underpin the recovery of the north, the west and the islands, and realise that we cannot ensure that that heartland has the sustainable future that we want it to have simply by creating businesses. Communities must be created and people in those communities and in the cities must be given opportunities to speak the language that they choose to speak.
Last Monday night, I was at a Celtic Connections concert that celebrated the great Melbost bard, Murdo Macfarlane. The audience was very much made up of Gaels who now live in the central belt. Listening to so many people singing the songs' choruses was fantastic. When we realise that singing is at the heart of Gaelic culture, we realise that that culture is much more special than the experience of certain parts of our country where people are quite tongue tied. That evening made me realise that different parts of Scotland bring different values to our culture, but that that singing culture—the concert got a four-star review—is special. I experienced the joy and pleasure that people get from singing in their own language. People have to experience that for themselves. During the year of homecoming, members should ensure that they at least go to a Gaelic festival or meet up with friends who go to such festivals. I am sorry to preach to people from Gaelic families or those who already do such things, but we should tell the rest of the world about how great such things are.
The Gaelic language plan inevitably falls into the different categories that have been explained. Finding out how we can improve things institutionally will take a wee while, but it is obvious that many people who are not Gaels themselves have moved to the Gàidhealtachd—the Gaelic-speaking areas—and they want their children to participate. They have seen the enthusiasm of Gaelic-medium education teachers and require the back-up services that help parents to learn Gaelic so that they can keep up with their children. If we want to create a whole community, parents who do not speak Gaelic but give their children the chance to learn it must also receive support. We must think about the current education services.
I am interested in the work that has been done on the Gaelic plan for Highland Council. There is an aim to create local Gaelic development plans, which community councils or other interested bodies could take up. Getting people talking about such things at a local level is great. I bear the scars of the consultation process on the national planning framework and know about the criticisms that have been made of that. Gaelic can set a very good example in that context. Support for the language can be built from the bottom up by encouraging people in many parts of the country to see its relevance to their community. I give an example from the area that I represent. In Caithness, which is in the north part of the Highlands—some people would say that it is beyond the Highlands—there is a degree of a jagged edge, but the word "Caithness" is half Norse and half Gaelic. Therefore, some parts of Caithness will be interested in Gaelic. Indeed, there will be a Mod there in 2010, which will mean that there will be heightened interest in Gaelic there. We must try to encourage debate on supporting Gaelic at local level.
I, too, greatly welcome BBC Alba. Some constituents who I met on the north coast and in other places over the Christmas period said, "At last. I've got an environment in my home in which I can have Gaelic all day and evening." Such a service had not been available before. Thanks to the prevalence of television, they thought that they would start to notice a difference in how people live, as there is now parity of esteem that allows people to live their lives more through Gaelic than they were able to do before. That makes the investment in BBC Alba so important. We are talking about a small amount of money, but I hope that we can build on the service in the future.
It is obvious that the Gaelic language plan includes particular structural arrangements. In the Government's support policies for raising awareness and helping people to participate, it is clear that signage of all sorts, including road signs and logos, is important. At the moment, the cash-strapped nature of things makes it difficult for such improvements to be made to the trunk road network, let alone for its maintenance to be done. We have to find ways of telling people that the money to pay for such road signage comes from a different pot from that which pays for holes in the road to be filled in. That needs to be done carefully if we are to avoid people making the nasty, jagged comparisons that they tend to make in such cases. I hope that we can do that.
I turn to press coverage of Gaelic. Last week, I was saddened to read in a Scottish newspaper a letter from a gentleman in Ayr who wrote, in Scots, that far too much money goes to Gaelic and none to Scots. Let us make it clear: it is not a case of having the one or the other. Scots speakers need a different prescription from that which Gaelic speakers need. Unlike Gaelic, Scots was not legislated against. The Education Act 1872 outlawed Gaelic from our lives. It is true to say that Scots was treated as slang. That said, the prescription for the two languages is different, but they are not mutually exclusive. I beg the chamber to ensure that that is the message that we send out in the year of homecoming to those who are celebrating Robert Burns. For example, we should recognise the fact that Lewis Macdonald's father translated Burns into Gaelic. There is no dichotomy between the interest of Scots and that of Gaelic. Let us celebrate both cultures to the full.
I welcome this consensual debate. I support not only the motion, but the Labour amendment.
Following the rather fraught scenes of yesterday afternoon, with ministers scurrying back and forward with hastily scribbled notes, I am delighted to offer reassurance to the Government front bench and extend the hand of friendship across the chamber.
"Aonaichibh ri chèile airson math nan uile"—unite together for the good of everybody; who knows, perhaps John Swinney is saying that right now to Andy Kerr. I hope that today's debate will show that, if the will is there, consensus between all parties can be reached. I hope and believe that that is the case for Gaelic.
I am pleased to see the familiar faces of those who make common cause on behalf of Gaelic, but the members who we need to convince are not in the chamber. The future of the language breaks down not on party lines, but between those who are supportive of the language and those who remain to be convinced of Gaelic's linguistic, social, cultural and historic importance to all Scots.
The application of Gaelic plans by the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, local authorities and soon every major institutional organisation in Scotland will make a real difference to the future of the language. Gaelic plans, such as that which is the subject of the debate, will help to normalise the language in everyday life in Scotland. We may not use the language, but we will see it in use. Through that familiarity, I very much hope and expect that ignorance of Gaelic, which can lead to suspicion and hostility, will be reduced.
The Scottish Government plan is very much what I expected it to be. For the most part, it is a description not of Government policy but of how the institution of Government can use and promote Gaelic. It contains detailed advice on how Gaelic can be used in signage, e-mails, letterheads and publications and at meetings. It also sets out how employment policies and working practices can be modified to give the language a profile that is more fitting to its status.
I am sure that the consultation will help to shore up any obvious oversights or omissions. The intent is clear for the public service to set a public example on the respect to be shown to the Gaelic language. My one critical observation is that the very brief paragraph on how the plan will be resourced is rather bare and unconvincing. That said, if the proposals as outlined are implemented, they will make a big difference to the institutional promotion of Gaelic.
The plan that we are debating today, and those of other bodies, came about as a result of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, which the previous Executive introduced. I hope that we all take pride in this piece of legislation. The steps that are being taken under the act will secure and stabilise the language. We should make no mistake: if we do not see progress, the language will die out. Like many members in the chamber, I have attended too many funerals in Skye and elsewhere at which people have not only mourned a loved one or friend, but felt that we were burying part of the Gaelic language. We need to save the language and do more; we need to grow Gaelic.
The plan touches on the Scottish Government's policy on Gaelic-medium education; we need to make progress in that area more than in any other. Earlier this week, a parent at the Gaelic-medium education unit at Tolcross primary school in Edinburgh told me of the importance of such schools moving on to the next stage. Like other parents of children at Gaelic units in schools around Scotland, she likes and is proud of her school—not just the Gaelic unit, but the whole school. However, she knows that Gaelic-medium education must develop further. The two most important developments are to secure more all-Gaelic schools and to expand what is available and on offer at secondary schools.
In our previous debate on Gaelic, a members' business debate that was secured by Alasdair Allan, I spoke about the importance of an all-Gaelic school environment—schools in which all pupils are taught through the medium of Gaelic and none through the medium of English. I will try not to repeat too many of the points that I made then, but it is worth noting the clear benefits of all-Gaelic schools educationally, as well as in pupils' Gaelic language development. Children who are taught all their subjects in Gaelic, rather than in English, are known to achieve well and to enjoy all the additional benefits of bilingualism.
Over the past 20 or so years, Gaelic-medium units have flourished across Scotland, attracting ever-increasing numbers of pupils, but many of them are now full or have limited places; in effect, we are capping the aspiration of many families to give their children a Gaelic-medium education. Glasgow, in particular, has shown that by establishing a Gaelic-medium school we can attract more pupils, many of whom—as all members present know—are learners with no Gaelic in the home. We should pay tribute to Glasgow City Council for its record of supporting Gaelic, not only because it is second to none but because the council has pioneered many of the most important developments in Gaelic-medium education. Since it established its all-Gaelic school, the pupil roll has doubled. There is now a distinct possibility of a second all-Gaelic primary to meet the demand that exists. Parent groups across the country—in Edinburgh, Skye, Dingwall, Portree and Fort William—want to follow Glasgow's example.
Such proposals are not without difficulty or even, potentially, controversy; each case will have to be considered and resolved locally. However, the principle of providing central support for such initiatives is crucial. We need to attract successive generations to Gaelic-medium education. I commend the Government on setting up a fund of £2.7 million to assist the capital development of schools, but—to give it a Gaelic welcome—I believe that that is a modest start.
Glasgow has not only expanded Gaelic-medium education at primary level but established a Gaelic-medium secondary school. That is a critical area. At the moment, the promise of many of our youngest Gaelic learners, which was developed and flourishing in primary school, comes up against the harsh reality of high school. The implicit lesson is that, if someone wants to get on, it is an English-speaking world—the serious business of preparing pupils for exams and qualifications is done in English. However, there is every reason to believe that, if we had more Gaelic secondary schools, we would increase attainment further. We would improve the confidence of our learners, not to mention their fluency. Other significant benefits would be an increase in the supply of Gaelic-medium teachers and improved efficiency; ironically, this is one of the few areas in which we might want class sizes to increase rather than decrease.
Everyone else in the world takes the all-school approach. Worldwide experience of successful minority language development supports the use of the whole-school immersion teaching model. Scotland is unusual in having persisted with units inside schools for so long. In both Wales and Ireland, where there are equally remote and rural communities, the whole-school model has been used almost universally. Our approach to Gaelic-medium education, like our approach to the Gaelic language plan, should be about equality—equality of esteem and equality of access. It should be about treating Gaelic as a normal part of life in Scotland. We are doing this not for the good of the Gaels—not for a small group, however special—but for the good of us all. The traditional Gaelic communities may not be able to keep the language alive by themselves. The future lies with the learners and the support of the wider community. The Gaelic language plan is part of winning that support.
Tha mi glè thoilichte a bhith an seo an-diugh, ach cha bhi mi a' bruidhinn anns a' Ghàidhlig. Tha mi duilich, ach chan eil mi deiseil deasbad a dhèanamh anns a' Ghàidhlig.
I am very pleased to be here today, but I will not be speaking in Gaelic. I am sorry, but I am not ready to do a debate in Gaelic.
Tomorrow night in Skye, I will attend a Burns supper that will be held in Gaelic. I will give members a wee preview:
Tha biadh aig cuid 's gun aca càil,
Tha càil aig cuid 's gun aca biadh,
Ach againne, tha biadh 's slàint',
Moladh mar sin a bhith don Triath.
That was the "Selkirk Grace" in Gaelic. The supper will be a very enjoyable event.
I welcome the Government's Gaelic language plan. In developing Gaelic, confidence is paramount. That is what the Gaelic plan and all the other measures are about—developing the confidence of native speakers, learners, children and communities. In the past, we have been held back by the lack of confidence among native speakers, many of whom were not literate in Gaelic. When they came across a pushy semi-literate learner asking them all sorts of questions about the genitive case and so on and so forth, they did not want to know. That was a real problem. The situation is changing a bit, but it needs to change even more. That is why the Gaelic plans are so important. The other measures that we are taking, such as Gaelic road signs, are also important, so that people see the language out there and see that it is part of mainstream life in Scotland, certainly in the Gàidhealtachd areas.
I am a fairly long-time learner of Gaelic, having gone to night school and to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig for various one and two-week courses. Eventually, I did a full year at Inverness College, the cùrsa comais, and developed reasonably good Gaelic. However, I am still not fully fluent. The problem in Inverness is that the course closed two or three years ago. Parents are sending their children to the new bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis—the new Gaelic primary school in Inverness. My daughter sent her daughter—my granddaughter—to the Gaelic-medium unit in Inverness, while she did a two-year full-time course at Inverness College, with the aim of being able to help her daughter with her homework when she came home from school. That worked very well. My daughter is now pretty fluent in Gaelic—fluent enough to be working in the bun-sgoil as a teacher's assistant.
That opportunity is no longer available for parents in Inverness. They would have to go to Skye to do a similar course. Parents in Inverness whose children go to school there need a course locally. I know that the college is trying to resurrect the course. Many people who send their children to Gaelic-medium education are not native Gaelic speakers, but they want to help their children, so it is important that they have that ability. Of course, other options are built in, such as other people helping kids with their homework, but it is much better if the parents can do it. As the parents learn, there are more Gaelic speakers and they are more likely to speak in Gaelic to their children at home.
It is a real joy for me to listen to my granddaughter, who is coming up for 11 this year. One tremendous feature of Gaelic-medium education is the amount of music and culture that is built in. It is lovely to listen to her singing to herself in Gaelic, without any hint of embarrassment. That is a fantastic feature that permeates such schools. The bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis has been a great success. It is full, as is the pre-school. When people realise that children do very well in Gaelic-medium education and that their cognitive abilities are very good, they want to send their children through that education.
Ken Macintosh compared Gaelic-medium units with Gaelic-medium schools. A full Gaelic-medium school is definitely much better than a unit because a unit, by definition, is located within an English-speaking school. The problem for the children is that, although they get Gaelic in the classroom, the assembly in the morning has to be held in English because the English-speaking kids cannot speak Gaelic, although the Gaelic-speaking ones can speak English. Out in the playground and in the canteen, English tends to be spoken. There is a dilution of the language when there is just a unit.
The situation with the Sleat primary school was difficult and traumatic. It was a shame when Highland Council decided to have an English-medium unit within a Gaelic school, because that did not remove the effect that I mentioned. The children in the English-speaking unit, who are a minority in the Gaelic-speaking school, still have to be told in English what is going on at the assembly. The same effect occurs in the canteen and playground. There is not the full immersion that is required to allow the kids to utilise the language right across the board. We need to consider that carefully.
I am pleased that Highland Council is considering having Gaelic-medium schools in Portree and Fort William. As I said, such schools are necessary because Gaelic units in English-speaking schools do not provide pupils with the full benefit. The situation is hard enough already. When the children at Gaelic-medium schools come out of school, they tend to slip into English because they are surrounded by it. The more that we can do to make them believe that Gaelic is the normal language to use for everything that they do in school, the better things will be in the future.
I will begin where Rob Gibson began and reflect on my experience of interacting with the Gaelic community and coming to recognise just what a precious part of the fabric of our national life Gaelic is. I defy anyone to go to an event such as the one that Rob Gibson talked about, or any gathering of Gaels anywhere in Scotland, and not be touched and deeply moved by their ability to enter into storytelling, to recite poetry, to sing unaccompanied or to play musical instruments and to do so, as Rob Gibson said, with such ease and confidence. Dave Thompson mentioned his granddaughter's ability to sing in Gaelic. Going to any such gathering or event gives one the sense that one is getting access to an entire culture and set of values that are both ancient and very modern at the same time.
No Government of any complexion at any time could ever watch the language begin to die. Every Government in recent times has taken action to help Gaelic. I pay tribute to the work that the Conservative Government of the latter part of the last century did—I do not often do that—to what we did and to what the present Government is now doing. Every Government must do everything that is possible to ensure that the language does not just survive but has the chance to grow and thrive. We all know that the number of people who speak Gaelic is still declining but, as I have said in previous debates, I am more optimistic than ever that we can turn that situation round.
I regarded it as an enormous privilege to have the chance, as a minister, to help design the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill and to take it through the Parliament, but I always knew that it would not be the final legislative word on Gaelic. The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 was a piece of legislation for a particular moment in time and a particular stage in our development. I fully expect that, in years to come, further Gaelic language acts will be passed in an effort to reflect developments, and I hope that that happens.
At the centre of the 2005 act is the notion of language plans and language planning. That is not an end in itself; it is simply a vehicle to drive progress on a shared objective by requiring public organisations, which play a huge part in our private and public lives, to take the lead in beginning the process of further normalisation of Gaelic in everyone's experience. In that context, the position of the Scottish Executive in its language plan is vital to what happens in all other parts of the public sector. The Scottish Executive plan needs to set the standard. If it fails to do so, other people will use the excuse, "The Scottish Executive didn't do that, so we won't do it either."
The Executive's plan is extremely important. It has the benefit not just of impacting on the central administration of the Executive but of having an influence on health, transport, education, the arts, law, housing, policing and so on. I know from my experience as a Government minister that there are many Gaelic enthusiasts in the civil service. Among them are two of the officials who supported me as a minister, whom I can see at the back of the chamber. They are among the genuine enthusiasts who would fight Gaelic's corner in the civil service.
However, it would be unwise not to recognise that in the civil service there are also deep pockets of scepticism about Gaelic and the whole mission on which we are embarked. Some people are completely unconvinced by the arguments for Gaelic, as I have experienced, but they are outweighed by the enthusiasts. The Government's plan needs to make it clear that the present Government is acting, and that successive Governments will act, to promote Gaelic, and that it expects the civil service to deliver on that agenda. The minister needs to set the tone, to take the lead, to drive progress and to brook no foot-dragging on the road along which we need to travel.
The question that needs to be asked about the plan that we are discussing is whether it is ambitious and aspirational enough. I would not seek to take anything out of the plan. All the ground that it covers is extremely encouraging and it makes steady and regular progress. The slight criticism that I have is that it is quite modest in its ambitions. There is a lot of talk about guidance and audits of various things. That is fine and I welcome it, but we need to translate all that into action. There is a lot of talk of maintaining funding, but little about growing activity in the way that Ken Macintosh suggested.
I will suggest five areas in which I hope that the Government will consider strengthening its plan. The first is road signs. Some people think that we get obsessed about Gaelic on road signs, but it is important that the language is visible in our nation, because it gives people a sense of place and cultural identity. I acknowledge that the plan talks about making progress on the signs on the trunk roads leading to the islands. That is fine and I welcome it, but we have to go much further than that. The report goes on to talk about research on the economic, social and environmental effects and the effects on safety of having Gaelic road signs. With great respect, I do not think that we need any more research on that; we need action on it. In my previous life as a councillor and more recently as an MSP, I have seen 20 years of resistance to the adoption of trunk road signage in Gaelic. We have to move beyond that point. As Rob Gibson said, there are costs involved, but we also have to replace road signs and there is a way of doing that without adding to the cost.
We have to take a sensible approach, as Ted Brocklebank said. It is unwise to force Gaelic signage on communities that are sceptical about it or who do not feel an association with Gaelic. However, all the evidence suggests that there are plenty of places in Scotland where we could make progress without offending anyone. I hope that the minister will simply overrule the roads department and ensure that we make further progress on that issue.
The experience in Wales shows that people have no problem dealing with bilingual signs. Perhaps we should unite to urge the minister to tell the people who are putting up our road signs to get on with the job.
I concur absolutely. I was about to say that, when I was in Canada last summer, I did not see any greater road carnage as a result of bilingual signs. I have certainly not seen any greater road carnage in Wales as a result of bilingual signs. When I visit Wales or other countries with bilingual signage, I get a sense of place, identity and culture. We need to achieve that in our big cities in Scotland, as well as just on the way to the islands.
The document refers to the importance of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, which is a hugely significant institution in the Gaelic world. It has made a huge contribution hitherto, but it still has the capacity to do more. I hope that when the document comes to be revised it can talk about the growth ambitions and the greater role that Sabhal Mòr Ostaig can play, not just as an educational institution but as a cultural institution—it has many other dimensions, too.
I will not labour the point that others have made, but Gaelic-medium education needs to grow. There needs to be a commitment in the plan to grow it not just at nursery or primary level but, critically, in secondary education. That will allow more young people to commit to Gaelic-medium education at nursery and primary school, because they know that they can complete their education in Gaelic.
The other dimension is Gaelic arts, which are hugely important. To see young people in the Gaelic communities moving between modern European contemporary rock and Gaelic music is wonderful to behold. We must allow that to be strengthened. That is important not just in music and singing, but in dance and theatre—the whole range of the arts needs to develop.
Others have made the point that we need to build on the progress that has been made in Gaelic television. We need to move to Freeview. The great advantage of the broadcasting system is that we can have up to 600,000 people watching Gaelic television even though the Gaelic-speaking community in Scotland is only 60,000. That demonstrates that television can broaden the appeal and understanding of Gaelic and people's ability to participate in it.
I hope that the minister will address all those points when the Government comes to review the consultation.
I would love to see some bolder Gaelic signage at Victoria Quay. It would be more difficult to put it on St Andrew's house, because it is probably a listed building. I hope that Victoria Quay never becomes a listed building. Victoria Quay is a symbol of Scottish government and loads of people enter it from all walks of life. Having bold Gaelic signage on the building, as well as inside the building, is an important part of the message from the Government that we take Gaelic seriously.
I welcome the extra time that I was given in the debate and I welcome the plan, although I think that we can do better. I hope that the plan will be improved and strengthened after the consultation.
I am so envious of my colleagues who can stand here and deliver a speech in Gaelic as either their first or second language. I ask for your sympathy, Presiding Officer, as I deliver this speech in my second language—English—my first being closer to Ayrshire Scots, which is similar to the language that was spoken in Ayrshire around the time of Robert Burns.
I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the Scottish Government producing its Gaelic language plan, as required under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005. It is worth recalling the words of Peter Peacock, who spoke immediately before me, and who introduced the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill. During the stage 1 debate, he said:
"It is the first time in recent history that a Government-sponsored bill that seeks to strengthen Gaelic and not to do it down has been brought before a Parliament."—[Official Report, 2 February 2005; c 14089.]
As Mr Peacock reminded us then, using the strength of Government in relation to Gaelic is nothing new. The difference now is that, following nearly 400 years of suppression, the force of law and the power of Government have been turned to its support.
The passing of the 2005 act and the publication of the Gaelic language plan that is before us and those of other public bodies allow us to see clearly how the Gaelic language will be supported in the years ahead. Like many people, I have an interest not just in the development of Gaelic but in seeing Gaelic enjoy its rightful place alongside English, Scots and other languages in a country that is comfortable with linguistic diversity. Through a shared history and experience, is ann leinne a tha Gàidhlig—or, in English, Gaelic belongs to all of us, not just the communities who speak it, as the minister pointed out in her opening speech.
It is worth recalling, in this special year, that Robert Burns, although not a Gael, was familiar with the language, and he would have regarded hearing it spoken and sung as a regular feature of his community life and cultural experience. At least one of Burns's friends, Mary Campbell, or Highland Mary, was a Gael. Members of the Crochallan Fencibles, with whom Burns socialised while in Edinburgh, were regular users of the language, too.
In more recent times, the crossover between Gaelic and Scots has been demonstrated by Hugh MacDiarmid. A leading writer in Scots, MacDiarmid also had a high regard for Gaelic culture, and he translated the poetry of Gaelic bards into Scots.
As the history of language shows, the power of language as a cultural tool is no protection against its decline. If the language is to be strengthened, it must be present in all areas of life—used in the home, experienced in the community and used as a medium of education. If the language is to sustain an economic base, it is critical that it is present in the workplace, too.
I look forward to reviewing the plan that the Government has produced to see how it will address the development of the language in all the areas that we have discussed. The Scottish Government's plan builds on the foundations of the national plan for Gaelic. In drawing up the national plan, Bòrd na Gàidhlig drew on the experience of Wales and Ireland. Both those countries, with their sister languages to Scots Gaelic, have more experience of strongly promoting their ancient languages than does Scotland. They demonstrated that the vision underlying our national plan is achievable. Sustained effort in support of a language can lead to an increase in the number of speakers and learners, and can broaden participation in activities in which the language is used.
Here in Scotland, fewer than 2 per cent of the population now acknowledge any familiarity with the Gaelic language. In Ireland, by contrast, more than 40 per cent of the population regard themselves as competent Gaelic speakers, and a third of them use the language every day. In Wales, about 20 per cent of the population speak Welsh. The depth of commitment to the language in some communities is demonstrated by the very high proportion of Welsh speakers who use the language every day. At more than 60 per cent, that is almost twice the rate of daily usage of Gaelic in Ireland. In Scotland, we are taking small but significant steps forward in supporting Gaelic.
Valuable work is being carried out even in Kilmarnock, in my constituency. Gaelic-medium education at Onthank primary school is now celebrating its 11th year. Having established that base, the Gaelic unit at Onthank is able to extend its work to support the development of Gaelic across East Ayrshire. Earlier this week, the unit extended the Gaelic-Scots crossover by holding a Gaelic Burns supper—I commend my colleague Dave Thompson, who is going to attend such a supper in Skye, but the weans of Kilmarnock have beaten him to it. I look forward to seeing a DVD of the event in the near future. Perhaps I should bring the event to the attention of BBC Alba—I suspect that I have just done so.
In addition to putting plans in place, we need to encourage agencies to be creative in their approach to embedding Gaelic in their activities. High-profile signage, which a few members have mentioned, regular Gaelic-based activities and continued development of Gaelic-medium education all have a part to play.
The establishment of BBC Alba will provide a welcome boost to the language, as Pauline McNeill's amendment says. I look forward to the channel becoming available to a wider audience.
I very much welcome the publication of the Scottish Government's draft Gaelic language plan, which reflects the commitment of the Government and the Parliament to the language and to righting an historic wrong.
Mòran taing. Thug mi a' chiad òraid agam seachad anns a' Ghàidhlig, ach tha mi a' dèanamh dheth gum bi mi a cheart cho math dìreach an dàrna òraid agam a thoirt seachad ann am Beurla. Tha e a' cur beagan uallach orm gu bheil mi leam fhìn ann an seo. Chan eil mi a' faicinn ball eile sam bith bhon phàrtaidh agam anns an t-seòmar airson taic a chur ri Gàidhlig, ach is dòcha gu bheil iad trang ann an àiteachan eile a' feuchainn ri sgillinn no dhà fhaighinn airson a' bhuidseat.
I made my opening speech in Gaelic, but I think that it would be better if I gave my closing speech in English. It worries me a little that I am here on my own—I see no other member of my party in the chamber to support Gaelic. Maybe they are busy elsewhere, trying to acquire a penny or two in the budget.
I have decided that I should give my closing speech in English. I did not give a written translation of what I am about to say to the parliamentary team, so I have to speak in English.
I am gladdened by the strength of feeling that all speakers expressed in the debate. I do not think that I heard one dissenting voice. Members made various suggestions about how not only the Gaelic language but the communities in which it is spoken might be strengthened. The minister said that a development officer might soon be appointed to promote the Gaelic plan.
It is all very well to have a Gaelic plan—I think that all the public agencies have produced theirs, and I understand that most councils have produced plans—
I am sorry to interrupt, but could you stop clicking your pen? I think that it is causing a problem for the sound engineer.
Just a slight distraction, Presiding Officer. Thank you.
The Gaelic plans that have been produced are welcome and represent a great stride forward from the situation many years ago, when nothing was happening. However, there is no use in having Gaelic plans if they are not implemented. We must ensure that whatever plans are presented, whether by councils, public bodies or the Scottish Executive, progress is made on implementing them.
I spoke to Pauline McNeill as we came up the stairs. She said that she was looking forward to the debate, and, like others, she talked about how, although there were large numbers of Gaelic speakers, suppression of the Gaelic over the years led to a decline in their numbers. That experience was common throughout the Gaelic-speaking world. When I went to school, everybody spoke Gaelic and every house had Gaelic, so there was no problem. However, there were different factions, although that is not the situation today. We must be careful to accommodate all shades of political opinion. It is no use saying that everything must be in Gaelic.
Dave Thompson referred to the problem that we had down in Sleat, where there was a beautiful, harmonious community and where we have the flagship of the Gaelic world—Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college. There was almost civil war in the wee local school when, because most of the pupils spoke Gaelic, about seven English families wanted to make the school a completely Gaelic-medium school. That was frowned upon. There was terrible strife about that, but it has been resolved. Through good negotiations and a bit of diplomacy, they now have a very harmonious school.
I was pleased to hear that Rob Gibson attended the Celtic Connections ceilidh over in Glasgow to hear the music and songs of the Melbost bard, who is a famous gentleman in the Gaelic tradition. Peter Peacock said that we cannot fail to be moved or impressed if we move within such circles and attend a ceilidh or a fèis. I know that the minister has attended a number of such events. I think that we met at the opening of the Mod up in Fort William, which was a spectacular event. Such events let us experience the ambience and good will that prevails wherever the Gaelic language and Gaelic music are promoted.
Ken Macintosh pointed out, with reference to Gaelic education, that it has been well established that bilingual education produces a better end product. It has been established beyond doubt that those who are taught bilingually have much higher educational achievements. We are proud of that and would like everybody to share in it—why not?
Peter Peacock also mentioned the Gaelic college of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, down in Sleat, which started 30 years ago. There used to be nothing there but a small, ruined steading. One of the local lairds came up with the idea that we should have a Gaelic college there, but the people he mentioned it to thought that the man was insane and should be locked up. However, he stuck to his guns, the college survived and we have a magnificent facility on the coast that has brought a vibrancy to, and changed the culture of, the peninsula of Sleat, which was almost a dying community.
Anyway, we are here to discuss the Gaelic language plan. I do not think that anyone dissents from what is in the plan. We all look forward with enthusiasm to the suggestions in the plan being implemented. Public agencies and local authorities have plans that are similar to the Scottish Government's plan, and we must ensure that they do not just gather dust on a shelf but are worked on and implemented so that they have an end result.
My great-great-grandfather was a Gaelic speaker, but I regret to say that he failed to pass it on. I am really sad that I do not speak Gaelic, but this immersion thing sounds very good. I have visions of sitting in a hot tub at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, looking down the Sound of Sleat and singing Gaelic songs. We cannot mention Sabhal Mòr Ostaig without paying tribute to Sir Iain Noble, who has devoted a great deal of his life to Gaelic, and without whom that wonderful college might never have existed.
As members have said, it is right and proper that Scotland's Government has a Gaelic language plan. I am pleased to say that our Parliament has a plan—the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body's very good plan. That sends out the message that we are serious about Gaelic and committed to its continued development in Scotland.
I am pleased that the council in my native Argyll and Bute is one of the organisations that are leading the way, by implementing its own Gaelic language plan, which Bòrd na Gàidhlig approved in June last year. When he launched the consultation on that plan, the council's leader Dick Walsh said:
"Historically, Argyll and Bute is the heartland of Scots Gaelic and … The Royal National Mod … was first held in Oban in 1892."
I welcome the council's commitment to host the Mod in Argyll and Bute every three years and I urge members to visit this year's Mod—in the year of homecoming—which will be held in Oban from 9 to 17 October. I do not know whether Sir Sean Connery will be there, but there is always a good chance of that. In any case, people will receive a wonderful welcome in Oban, which is the gateway to the Hebrides.
The Mod is one of the best examples of the vibrancy of our Gaelic sector. The number of talented young Gaelic singers and musicians is extremely encouraging. I declare an interest, as my wife, Emma, sings in the excellent Taynuilt Gaelic choir. I take the opportunity to wish that choir every success.
The music and poetry of the Gael mean so much. Two members have already mentioned Murdo Macfarlane—the Melbost bard. On his return from Canada, he said, "There are no ceilidhs on the prairies."
Recently, I spoke with another MacFarlane—Brigadier John MacFarlane—with whom listeners to Radio nan Gaidheal will be familiar because of his broadcasts with Donald Morrison. He told me that, as a native of Tobermory, where his family had long-established businesses in whisky and chandlery, he spoke nothing but Gaelic in his childhood and in the 1950s, when most conversations were about crofting, fishing, boating and local gossip. He says that the news and current affairs programmes on the Gaelic media now have greatly increased not only his but many others' vocabulary.
Brigadier MacFarlane also said that the Gaelic media have provoked great interest in Gaelic novels, films and poetry, and that the BBC iPlayer keeps Gaelic programmes for a week, which is useful for people who have missed a programme. He emphasised that the Gaelic of Radio nan Gaidheal is beamed to the diaspora in South Africa and Canada. He has even received fan letters from Gaelic speakers in Australia. On a more negative note, one can lose FM coverage in many places in the Highlands, so increasing the station's footprint would be important progress.
Brigadier MacFarlane expressed his dismay that BBC Alba is not available on Freeview. Many of my constituents in the Highlands and Islands do not want to pay hundreds of pounds to access the Gaelic channel on Sky. Given that Irish people can watch their Irish Gaelic channel free and that Wales can watch its Welsh channel, why cannot the Scots watch their Scots Gaelic channel on Freeview? That is unfair, and I appeal to others to lobby the BBC trust on the issue.
That subject was raised emphatically last night at the meeting of the cross-party group on Gaelic. Stress was placed on the importance of the media and on the difficulty in sourcing Gaelic teachers, which is key to encouraging the use of the Gaelic language in Scotland, as my friend Liz Smith eloquently and strongly pointed out. She made the key point that, although progress is being made on the number of children who learn Gaelic through Gaelic-medium education, we need to do more to ensure that they can develop their skills at secondary school. We look to ministers to address that. More must also be done to promote the speaking of Gaelic in our universities and further education colleges. Otherwise, the language will break down.
Ted Brocklebank spoke passionately about the role of broadcasting in sustaining and promoting Gaelic. I am proud of the Scottish Conservatives' record on that. In a speech in the first parliamentary session, the former Labour MSP for the Western Isles, Alasdair Morrison, effusively thanked the Conservatives for igniting the Gaelic revival by funding Gaelic media and education. In fact, that was the only time that I heard him being grateful or polite to the Conservatives—even Mrs Thatcher's name sounded all right in Gaelic. Alasdair Morrison was right. I am proud of previous Conservative ministers, such as Malcolm Rifkind and Michael Forsyth, who knew the value of the Gaelic heritage and wanted not to lose it but to encourage it.
Like many others, including Alasdair Allan, whose motion on the subject I was pleased to sign, I was very pleased to learn that the famous Dwelly's Gaelic dictionary is now available online—I shall certainly use it. I pay tribute to the site's creators, William Robertson and Michael Bauer, for their hard work. The dictionary, which has 77,989 entries, is by far the most comprehensive dictionary of the Gaelic language ever published. The pilot project was personally funded by its co-creators, and I understand that since it went live on the internet on 14 January there have been almost 60,000 searches. The dictionary has been designed so that it can be easily expanded and updated online, and the creators plan to appoint a team of editors to continue to expand, modernise and update the dictionary's content by adding new words, full information about word usage and grammar, and spoken examples of word usage. The dictionary is a valuable tool for Gaelic speakers and for those who wish to learn the language, and I commend it to all those who are interested in the language.
VisitScotland has a part to play. I sometimes visit the tourist office in Tyndrum and see on the wall the poems of Duncan Ban MacIntyre and the translations. As he came from the Dalmally area, there is a monument to him there. It is very good that those Gaelic poets are shown in their areas. Tyndrum tourist office has set an example that others would do well to follow.
We have talked about Gaelic signs. Is it all right for me to continue, Presiding Officer?
I suppose that it depends for how long.
You will cut me off at some point.
A couple more minutes would not go amiss.
I enjoy seeing Gaelic signs in Argyll, but I sometimes wonder whether they could be translated into English. Underneath the Gaelic sign is the English Gaelic version—the pidgin Gaelic—but I do not know whether three versions could be fitted on to one sign, so I dare say that it is probably not a very good idea. It is marvellous for people who come to Scotland to see on maps the English translations of Gaelic names, because they can understand what the place names mean. For example, Cameron means "crooked nose" and Campbell means "crooked mouth". There are all kinds of strange but relevant translations.
Finally, we have a very good Gaelic parliamentary unit, but I would like it to be strengthened, so that we can receive English translations of Gaelic documents. Last night, at the cross-party group on Gaelic, I received a document in Gaelic that I have not been able to have translated yet. We get a very good verbal service, but we do not get a written one. I wonder whether someone in the Parliament could address that issue.
In conclusion, the Scottish Conservatives are pleased to support the motion. We welcome the Scottish Government's draft Gaelic language plan and we look forward to a productive consultation exercise that draws in all the Gaelic expertise and input from as wide a range of organisations and individuals as possible.
Ciamar a tha thu? Feasgar math.
Each time that we debate the subject of Gaelic, I try to learn at least one new word—I have not yet got to a sentence.
As John Farquhar Munro said, I bumped into him and Jamie Stone on the way to First Minister's question time and I asked them both for a word that I could say in the debate this afternoon—I chose to trust John Farquhar Munro rather than Jamie Stone.
Another source of Gaelic was the Scottish Parliament shop, where I was presented with "Gaelic is Fun". I would recommend it as a good read—it enables the reader to learn Gaelic through cartoons. However, the minister may want to have a look at it herself, because phrases such as, "Will you take another drink" and, "Have another drink" feature heavily. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice might want to take a look at it. I picked out a phrase for John Farquhar Munro—"Tha Gàidhlig mhath agad"—which means "Your Gaelic is good." I am sorry, but I could not find a phrase for "Your Gaelic is amazing."
To be serious, the Gaelic language is in decline. As Johann Lamont said, that is not an accident. Other members have spoken about past hostility towards the Gaelic language. The suppression of Gaelic has contributed to its decline and it is important that we acknowledge that. We are trying to address the issue by having a plan for Gaelic.
The Government's role in setting the tone will be critical. Peter Peacock talked extensively about the role of Government and called for more Government action. He said that successive Administrations would have to acknowledge that the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 might not be the only act that was needed. However, it is an important vehicle for ensuring that we continue to make progress.
Understanding the objectives of the 2005 act and of the Gaelic language plan will be important in giving the language status and respect. We also have to consider the context of the language, as Rob Gibson said. We are not just protecting and preserving a language; we are promoting a culture, of which the language is very much a part.
Ken Macintosh talked about schools where Gaelic teaching is accompanied by promotion of arts and culture. Whether it is the harp, the chanter or unaccompanied singing, we should hold it in very high regard.
John Farquhar Munro pointed out that Gaelic is a language of not just the Highlands, but the Lowlands too. As I have said many times before, there are many Gaels in Partick who are very proud of their heritage. I was at Celtic Connections and saw them jigging to the ceilidh, and I was pleased that the festival was taking place in Glasgow.
We have made important progress. With the 2005 act, we are beginning to work out the areas in which we can take action. Peter Peacock wants to see bolder signs at Victoria Quay, and we should be debating where signage should be, what level it should be at, and what practical steps we can take.
We know from briefings that Bòrd na Gàidhlig has used its powers to issue notices to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and the Scottish Government about having a language plan. I am pleased that it is using its powers in that regard.
Alasdair Allan made some good points about raising the status of Gaelic. He spoke about the opportunity to e-mail in Gaelic and know that the response would be in Gaelic too. The Government plan addresses that issue.
Alasdair also spoke about mainstreaming. I was not entirely sure what he meant by that, but it will be important to identify resources for Gaelic. If the language were mainstreamed, we might actually lose the dynamic drive to ensure that Gaelic is specifically focused on in our culture plan.
Ken Macintosh mentioned, in Gaelic, uniting together for the good of everybody. He was absolutely right; this issue does not break down along party lines. Ken also talked about normalising the language and seeing it in everyday use. When people see the language in their environment, it will be a way of reducing hostility towards the language.
Dave Thompson and others spoke about the environment in a Gaelic school. There is a difference between having a unit and having a school. I have seen at the Glasgow Gaelic school that the children are sometimes given into trouble when they revert to English. They are encouraged to use Gaelic, even in the playground, so that they are learning all the time.
Peter Peacock talked about the culture giving confidence and about the importance of valuing the culture.
Ted Brocklebank was right to draw lines around what we are trying to achieve. The issue is about sensitivities around promoting the language where it already exists and where we would like it to exist. There are communities that would like to have a connection, but do not. We have to recognise those sensitivities. Having read the Government's plan, I am quite clear that that is what it is setting out to achieve, so I have no particular worries in that regard.
Willie Coffey talked about Gaelic belonging to us all. I believe that that is true. The fact that someone does not speak Gaelic does not mean that they do not value it or want it to be part of Scotland's culture and heritage. We are debating the issue this afternoon not because we think that everyone should speak Gaelic, but because we think that everyone should value it.
John Farquhar Munro showed off by opening in Gaelic and closing in English. Sadly, there was no one here from the Liberal Democrat front bench to hear him. I expect that they are doing other things. Who needs them, anyway?
Gaelic is part of the mix of Scotland's culture, along with Burns, traditional music and so on. A few weeks ago, the minister and I attended the traditional music awards event—which, incidentally, would not have been broadcast without BBC Alba. I was astonished at the ability and the energy that we saw there. As well as Gaelic singing, there was a range of traditional music, which shows what Scotland has to offer.
Jamie McGrigor spoke with the flair that only he can provide. Although I do not know that Thatcher's name sounds any better to me in Gaelic than it does in English, I take his point.
There is an enthusiasm for this issue in the chamber. Although discussions are taking place elsewhere that, as they deal with the country's future, are arguably more important than the debate, it is important that from time to time we revisit this issue because we need to see what progress is being made. I am sure that the minister will agree that, if we are concerned that not enough progress is being made, we should have an opportunity to say that. Some great challenges face ministers, and we call on ministers to be ambitious about the use of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005.
The answers lie in education and in the media that we use. Earlier, I talked about using the internet and all the other ways in which we can communicate. The plan needs to be nurtured and monitored, or we will lose momentum.
Labour is pleased to support the Government's motion, and I hope that the other parties will support our amendment, which is intended to be constructive.
I am delighted by the great degree of consensus that we have had today and by the quality of the debate. I was pleased that Pauline McNeill said that we need to revisit the issue from time to time, as that acknowledges its importance and reflects what many other speakers said. She also said that the Government needs to be ambitious about the use of the 2005 act; we must all be that.
The Government's draft plan is out for consultation and other public agencies—such as the councils, with more to follow—have Gaelic plans up and running. However, as many have said today, we must not say, "Right, we've done that" and put the plans on a shelf. We must use the plans as living documents for a living language and culture and expand them all the time.
Peter Peacock was hugely influential in the shaping of the 2005 act, as he was the relevant minister at the time. While I was sitting being lectured earlier, I was thinking of calling him Captain Peacock. However, I appreciate his input into the process. It is important that everyone moves forward in a spirit of consensus.
That said, Ted Brocklebank always has to get in a wee dig about Scots and English. I have no problem describing English as a dialect of Scots—no problem at all. There is, however, a serious point in what Mr Brocklebank said. He was quite right when he stated that no native Gaelic speaker does not understand English. That is where we are today—but there are plenty of native Gaels who do not understand Gaelic. That reflects the history, as Rob Gibson pointed out, of the legislation against Gaelic language and culture and of the people who were affected by it. That is one of the reasons—as Pauline McNeill and other members have pointed out—for being proactive and ambitious today.
Johann Lamont's contribution summed up that history, because she comes from a family that is a product of the putting down of the Gaels and the language, and of how people learned to deal with that. The onus is on us all to move forward, and there are many ways to do so. Practically every speaker mentioned education, which shows just how important it is.
It cannot be denied that there are challenges. Secondary education, which was mentioned, is a challenge for many reasons, but the Government is working closely on it and we want to do what we can to move forward. The Minister for Schools and Skills, who is sitting beside me, and I recently met jointly Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education and Bòrd na Gàidhlig to discuss those issues.
I liked the contributions about education from John Farquhar Munro and Dave Stewart, and the suggestions about the importance of the spoken word. That is not to do down grammar, language construction or anything else involved in learning, but the Gaelic language comes from an oral tradition. The absolute beauty of its sound means that Gaelic is something to sit and listen to and enjoy—and laugh and cry about, even if you do not understand it. The spoken word is very important—learning to speak and to sing are as important as other aspects of education.
It is important to reach young people, too, and there are lots of ways to do that. Some initiatives have been mentioned, such as the Gaelic online dictionary. It is great that we have something like that now, and the people who have been instrumental in that project should be congratulated. Bashir Ahmad recently told me that there is a move to translate the Qur'an into Gaelic, which is wonderful.
The mygaelic social networking site that Pauline McNeill spoke about is hugely important in trying to reach young people. I was at a conference on Lewis recently about community initiatives for Gaelic. It was great to hear the young people telling my age group—and some who were older than me—that we have to listen to them about how they want their language to be used. Mygaelic—the Gaelic Facebook, if you like—is a way forward for young people to be able to be able to use their own language, or their language of choice, to communicate in all sorts of ways.
The subject of BBC Alba—and its vibrancy—has been raised many times. It is not just about having a Gaelic channel, but about everything that is behind that. The production companies such as mac tv, Media nan Eilean and Studio Alba are hugely important. That shows that there is an economy in Gaelic culture and language that can lead, as Rob Gibson said, to the potential for Gaelic to underpin growth in the Highlands and Islands, which is very important.
In relation to the point that I raised earlier about broadcasting, what does the minister feel about the fact that BBC Alba is not shown on Freeview? Does she think that it would be better if it was, as more people would have access to it? Would she be prepared to lobby the BBC trust on that point?
I have been doing that for many months—indeed, I am meeting the chair of BBC Alba, Alasdair Morrison, again soon to discuss the next step in our joint strategy on that, because it is hugely important for many reasons.
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig has been mentioned a lot and has received glowing praise. I was delighted when the First Minister opened the Fàs creative centre in the college. Again, that is about encouraging work on the economy in the Highlands and Islands.
It has been interesting to discuss the various cultural aspects of Gaelic. Rob Gibson referred to a jagged edge, and how it can be perceived that Gaelic stops here and Scots starts there. However, part of the beauty of our nation is the fluidity of the way in which all the different cultures fuse and mesh. I was interested in Willie Coffey's contribution about Robert Burns and his familiarity with Gaelic. The other night, I spoke to Margaret Bennett, who has done much good work for the school of Scottish studies. She also told me about Robert Burns's interaction with Gaelic.
We heard about the crossover with Hugh MacDiarmid, who translated Duncan Ban McIntyre's poetry with help from Sorley MacLean. That represented a collaboration of poets of different styles. Just last year, I was delighted to be at the premier of Ronald Stevenson's "In Praise of Ben Doran", which was about Hugh MacDiarmid's translations of the poetry of Duncan Ban McIntyre.
Education is important. Ken Macintosh and many others talked about the benefits of Gaelic schools for education generally, as well as for the bilingualism and, often, trilingualism that is the result of children learning Gaelic at an early age. That has been proven over and over again. I am pleased that Ken Macintosh welcomed the First Minister's announcement at the Mod about the capital budget for Gaelic schools. The Minister for Schools and Skills has asked me to point out that there are other resources too. We all want education to move on quickly, but we should not get despondent about it. There is glow—the schools intranet—and there is the scholar programme run by Heriot-Watt University, which provides access to Gaelic learning and raises Gaelic's profile in non-Gaelic speaking areas.
Peter Peacock talked about road signage. He is right to say that in our draft Gaelic plan we have discussed Transport Scotland's research on how road signs can affect accidents. Transport Scotland says that once the research is completed it will consider whether to increase bilingual signage on trunk roads and so on. I ask members, many of whom feel strongly about that, to put in submissions about the draft Gaelic plan and let us see that strength of feeling. On the subject of signs, I am delighted to confirm to Peter Peacock that the Scottish Government did indeed ensure that the signage at Government buildings was bilingual. I am delighted to hear that he wants the Gaelic to be much more prominent.
A-rithist, tapadh leibh airson ur taic. Tha mi a' coimhead air adhart ri freagairtean dhan phlana agus barrachd adhartais air feadh Alba. Mòran taing.
Again, thank you for your support. I am looking forward to responses to the plan and to more progress throughout Scotland. Many thanks.