Chamber and committees

Was there anything that surprised you from that engagement? What new things did you learn from it?

I want to focus on the community development of the Gaelic language. The tone of your comments today is interesting compared with what we have heard previously. You said earlier that there was a danger of doing too much in the bill and that it needs to be focused, and you have talked about refining it. However, many of the previous witnesses have been completely underwhelmed by the bill. We have dug for answers on practical things that it seeks to change and we get vague, general answers on things that could, in reality, be done now, including on areas of linguistic significance. There is nothing to prevent authorities from doing those things now. The census results that were published yesterday show—you have alluded to this—that the numbers of those speaking Gaelic are increasing in the central belt and decreasing in traditional areas such as the Western Isles. On Gaelic, the bill is not good enough, is it?

That is a good answer. I want to hear that you are going to do more, because you have previously talked about crisis. Do you envisage coming back to us with a new plan on, perhaps, housing, tax and some other areas of investment?

I have a final question about the areas of linguistic significance. When I arrive on the ferry at Lochboisdale, what will I feel is different?

You would dismiss Professor Ó Giollagáin’s comments that the bill is not good enough and that, in effect, we should scrap the Gaelic elements of it.

Okay, so you are maybe not dismissing them. What are your comments on Professor Ó Giollagáin’s remarks, then?

What is stopping people doing that now?

I am a bit confused by that. You have said that the bill is important, but you are also saying that his remarks that the Gaelic bits of the bill should be removed—

I am struggling with what the area of linguistic significance is and what it will actually do. Donald Macleod was talking about the secondary legislation that might fill in some of the gaps. If I arrive in an area of linguistic significance, what will I see, feel and hear that is different, other than a sign on an entrance to a village? I hope that Donald can tell me what it will look like.

Is anything stopping you from doing that now?