Chamber and committees

I still have to respond formally to the piece of work that was done by the short-life working group on economic and social opportunities for Gaelic, which is a mouthful. It contains some brilliant recommendations, as you will know if you have seen it—I am sure that you have. I intend to respond formally to that, and I think that that response will capture a lot of the stuff that you are interested in.

I would not dismiss anybody’s comments and I will not dismiss the committee’s report either. I will read it with interest. I will review all the comments that have been made by those who have given evidence, and I intend to meet them personally to discuss the matter, including Professor Ó Giollagáin.

We have that already. If that information is not being provided to the committee, we can see what more we can provide.

In terms of the overall spend on Gaelic, funding goes to the Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and funding is given to MG Alba, which I have talked about already. There is also funding for Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and Stòrlann Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig, and there is other Gaelic development work. Indirect capital also goes to Gaelic. There is funding for Gaelic schools, and there are specific grants that go through local authorities for Gaelic schools.

There is not only one line of funding for Gaelic to allow us to see the full funding package—although that can be drawn out. There is also all the funding that is distributed through schools and so on, and I hasten to add, through broadcasting. The Media Bill, which is progressing through the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, is key. Welsh language television and broadcasting get their financial support from the United Kingdom Government, because broadcasting is reserved, and equity with Welsh is being sought.

I will take that away. The bill gives Scots legal recognition, but there is an appetite and an ambition for Scots. The committee has had recommendations and ideas on what more we could do for Scots, and I am keen to listen, engage and see what else we can do.

Yes. If officials want to come in on consultation of communities, they should feel free to do so. My understanding is that there has been extensive engagement, consultation and discussion. Often, those are done with community representatives, but we might have to do more in that way. I am certainly open to doing more.

You have had Conchúr Ó Giollagáin at committee. After his book was published, Alasdair Allan and I, in a non-Government capacity, did extensive engagement in communities. We had lots of village hall meetings in order to understand the issue. Interestingly, what came out through them was that people were looking for all the informal stuff that happens on the periphery. For example, they wanted to have for young people routes to work that still allows them to use the language or to be able to get public transport to a youth event where Gaelic could be used. Those peripheral things are important.

I think that the figure should be 100 per cent—

I can imagine. [Laughter.] That was not meant to be—

Absolutely.

Tha mi gu math duilich, ach tha sin ceart gu leòr.

The bill has to be focused; it should not say so much that it does not mean anything. I said earlier that the bill has a specific aim. I will take on board the committee’s feedback and what has come through the consultation, and I will look more broadly at other policy areas and think about how we could use transport or housing to further the policy aims, but I would be nervous about trying to make a bill do too much. It is an education bill because education is essential and because Gaelic has historically sat in the education brief.