Draft Gaelic Bill unveiled at
100th Mod
A draft Gaelic Language Bill was
published today, fulfilling a commitment by Scottish
Ministers to legislate to secure the status of the language
in Scotland.
Speaking at the 100
th Royal National Mod in Oban, First Minister
Jack McConnell and Minister for Education and Young People
Peter Peacock confirmed that the Bill was to be introduced
to Parliament next summer.
Mr McConnell
said:
"In May of this year, Scottish
Ministers confirmed that they wanted to legislate to secure
the status of Gaelic in Scotland. I am delighted to deliver
on that promise and to publish a Bill which will, for the
first time, provide legal status for the language in
Scotland. Today is the start of the 100
th Mod. It is now an historic day for Gaelic in
more ways than one.
"The Bill proposals build on our
continued support for Gaelic education, culture and
broadcasting, and will go a long way to stemming the
decline in the use of the language.
"We want to secure the place of Gaelic
as a living part of Scottish life, to promote the
language's everyday use and increase the appreciation of
its place and value in Scottish culture.
"I believe that securing Gaelic is
important for all of Scotland. It gives us a link with our
past and demonstrates that diversity and the rights of
minority communities will be valued and protected for the
future."
The key provisions of the Bill
are:
Recognising in legislation
Gaelic as a language of Scotland
Establishing the Gaelic
development body, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, on a statutory
basis to promote the use and understanding of
Gaelic
Requiring Bòrd na Gàidhlig
to prepare a National Gaelic Language Plan for
approval by Scottish Ministers
Requiring public bodies in
Scotland to consider the need for a Gaelic language
plan in relation to the services they offer
Mr Peacock
said:
"Our aim is to create a sustainable
future for Gaelic in Scotland and ensure that the language
can survive and thrive. Legislation alone cannot achieve
this, but it can make a significant contribution.
"We need to see the Gaelic language
passed on within families, promoted by schools, widely used
in communities and valued by learners. This Bill can help
create the context and the confidence to make this
possible."
Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnaG) Chairman
Duncan Ferguson said:
"Bòrd na Gàidhlig warmly welcomes the
publication of the draft Gaelic Language Bill. This is a
most encouraging outcome of much hard work by many people
committed to the future of the language and is a historic
day for Scotland.
"The Scottish Executive and BnaG
recognise that a great deal requires to be done to reverse
the decline of Gaelic.
Effective partnerships, at all levels, will
be critical in the achievement of this objective.
"Bòrd na Gàidhlig will be strengthened
by its new statutory status, powers and duties.
We will be encouraging and facilitating
discussion on the draft Bill during the consultation
period, seeking the widest possible positive consensus in
the response.
"The new duties on all public bodies
in Scotland to consider Gaelic Language Plans for their
services, when taken together with the guidelines on how to
exercise those duties we will issue, gives a very clear
route to providing more opportunities to use Gaelic in
everyday situations.
"The Bòrd will also continue to
discuss the Gaelic community's aspirations with the
Scottish Executive, and we will aim to achieve the most
effective support for Gaelic through this Bill."
The consultation period closes on
January 9, 2004.
Executive support for Gaelic centres on three
main areas:
- education
cultural
organisations
- broadcasting
Gaelic features at all levels of education:
pre-school, primary, secondary, further and higher
education and as part of teacher training. Specific
grants for Gaelic education were introduced in 1986 and
annual funding has since increased from £250,000 to
£2.834 million in 2002-03. The Scottish Executive also
supports Gaelic pre-school education, teacher training,
the training of Gaelic-speaking secondary teachers, a
National Resource Centre for Gaelic teaching materials
and for the Gaelic college, Sabhal Mor Ostaig in
Skye.