Chamber and committees

I join members in congratulating Emma Harper, who is a great champion of the Scots language, on securing this members’ business debate, and in welcoming the continued work of the Open University and Education Scotland in teaching the Scots language.

For too long, children were shamed for speaking Scots. A 1946 report on primary education said that it was

“not the language of ‘educated’ people”.

We must recognise how much things have changed for the better in recent years. The Open University programme, which helps to embed Scots in schools, demonstrates that. For pupils, the effects of having their teachers communicate on their level can only be positive.

I also welcome the work of the Open University in developing Scots education for refugees and migrants. The “New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy” notes how difficult it can be for people to integrate without language skills, but Scots is not included in traditional English lessons, despite its being used in daily life.

I look forward to seeing the Open University’s research, and to seeing how we can support learning for new Scots. I also note the Open University’s previous success in Scots education. Its first course in Scots language and culture opened in 2019, and it has since taught 15,000 students. It is also important to note that the course is attended by more people from outside Scotland than from inside Scotland. That is a great demonstration of the value of the Scots language and of how it enables learning between cultures and attracts interest outwith Scotland.

I am pleased that Scots remains a living language and am pleased by its revival in recent years. I see that revival in my position as the shadow culture spokesperson for Labour.

The MacMillan Skills Hub in Muirhouse, in north Edinburgh, will fully reopen in January. The project, which was completed with support from the Scottish Government and others, will include a 96-seat theatre, a social enterprise cafe, artist studios and a council library. It is a great example of local culture benefiting all. Can the cabinet secretary advise whether the Scottish Government would consider working with the Brunton Theatre Trust in a similar effort to replace the Brunton theatre in Musselburgh, which was recently forced to close?

I thank Elena Whitham very much for the intervention. I totally agree with her.

Creative Scotland has a Scots policy that commits it to funding and to advocating for the language. Just a few weeks ago, it opened its fund for Scots artists. The newest Scots makar says that he wants to build bridges between the Scottish languages, and the previous Scots makar wrote many poems in Scots. We must note that culture plays a vital role in keeping the language alive.

The Scottish Languages Bill is now working its way through Parliament. It calls for promotion of Scots in our schools. Although there is still much to be done on the bill, courses such as the one from the Open University and Education Scotland are a positive step in promoting use of Scots in professional settings. I again join members in welcoming that partnership, and I hope to see more and more teachers signing up.

You have said that all the work is done by volunteers, but do you have any expertise? Lucy Casot talked about the Welsh model. Has the steering group been in touch with anyone in Wales to find out whether that model is working?

A lot of museums are making changes to have a dedicated space for showcasing the history involved. How is the group working on that with MGS and other organisations?

Good morning. I want to draw my colleagues’ attention to the fact that I was part of the steering group at the beginning. However, when I was elected as an MSP, I walked away—or rather, I thought that I would leave them to do all the hard work, which they have done.

Zandra Yeaman, I have visited the Hunterian museum and have seen the work that you are doing and which you have done. I know from my involvement with the group that Professor Sir Geoff Palmer and others, including Jatin Haria and you, have been doing a lot of very important work, because this is a story that needs to be told. We all want this to be successful.

However, there is a question that I have always had. I have seen your presentation and have attended quite a few meetings. I know that this will take time, as we have heard from you and others, but what can the committee do to speed things up, and how can we spread the message?

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work on diversity, inclusion and equalities, what recent discussions the Minister for Equalities has had with ministerial colleagues regarding work to tackle Islamophobia. (S6O-04028)

After the events of this summer, it is more important than ever that we work to tackle Islamophobia and hate. The Scottish Government accepted the recommendations of the report on Islamophobia by the cross-party group on challenging racial and religious prejudice. Will the minister advise what progress the Scottish Government is making on implementing the recommendations, which include adopting a definition of Islamophobia and a workplace discrimination toolkit?

I am happy to close the petition, but I think that we should write to the Scottish Government to say, “Look, there’s a gap. What are you guys doing about it?”

Will the Parliament be able to consider any legislative changes before or alongside a designation order so that it can scrutinise coherence across the proposals?