Question S3O-08251: Bill Wilson, West of Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 29/10/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the Scots language alongside Gaelic in the summary of responsibilities of the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution on its website.

Answered by Michael Russell (29/10/2009): The Scottish Government website does provide a short list of distinct areas which are within my portfolio. While this is not a complete list of portfolio responsibilities, I would be very happy to include Scots within this brief list of examples.

Question S3W-28520: Dave Thompson, Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 29/10/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in order to fulfil its responsibilities under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, it requires accurate information on the status of the Scots language and, if so, whether the census will include adequate questions on Scots.

Answered by Michael Russell (09/11/2009): Accurate information on the numbers of Scots speakers would contribute to the Scottish Government making progress with other Scots undertakings in Part II of the Council of Europe''s Charter for Regional and Minority languages. In relation to the census, Parliament will be asked later this year to approve the final choice of questions.

Question S3W-24307: Bill Wilson, West of Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 27/05/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will spend on (a) Gaelic, (b) Scots and (c) BSL over the next three years.

Answered by Michael Russell (04/06/2009): In the years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 the Scottish Government has provisionally committed the following amounts of funding:

(a) Gaelic:

B²rd na G idhlig - £5.4 million in each year.

Gaelic education (specific grants scheme) - £5.56 million in each year.

Gaelic Media Service (MG ALBA) - £12.4 million in each year.

Sabhal M²r Ostaig - £1.25 million in each year.

Capital improvements (education) - £2.7 million in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

(b) Scots:

Scottish Language Dictionaries - £400,000 in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Scots Language Centre - £140,000 in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Policy development - £74,000 over three years.

(c) British Sign Language (BSL):

£1.5 million over three years to increase the number of BSL/English interpreters in Scotland, and to support and increase the teaching of BSL, particularly at advanced levels.

£134,896 over three years to the Scottish Council on Deafness to develop and consolidate channels of engagement between deaf people (including deaf BSL users) and the Scottish Government and other statutory bodies in order to improve access to services and information.

Question S3O-06664: Bill Wilson, West of Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 15/04/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many higher education institutions ensure that their teacher training graduates are competent to teach Scots.

Answered by Keith Brown (23/04/2009): There is no teaching qualification in the Scots language. However, the higher education institutions that offer initial teacher education are committed to preparing all new teachers to deliver the curriculum for excellence, which contains a clear commitment to the promotion of Scottish history, culture and languages. Therefore, all teachers should be prepared to build on the diversity of language that is represented in the communities of Scotland and value the languages that children and young people bring to school.

Bill Wilson: In light of the compelling testimony from front-line teachers that increased provision of the Scots language can enhance literacy, social inclusion, English skills and the understanding of Scots culture, does the Scottish Government have plans to significantly increase investment in Scots in schools? Does it have plans to commission research into the provision of Scots education?

Keith Brown: As Bill Wilson knows—or as he kens fine, as I should perhaps say—local authorities are responsible for allocating budgets to their schools to meet the demands and priorities in their local area. It is for schools, in the light of the curriculum framework within which they operate, to determine how best to organise the syllabus for all subjects, including Scots in schools. There is no extra funding for Scots and the Scottish Government has no plans to increase significantly investment in Scots in schools.

The member will be aware that, at the Equal Opportunities Committee's meeting on 24 February, it agreed to refer points relating to the Scots language audit report to the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee. Those included the suggestion that the Government consider commissioning further research to explore attitudes to the Scots language in teaching and the finding that provision appears more frequent in primary than in secondary schools. I can confirm that Scottish Government officials met on 18 March to consider how further research could build on the findings of the recent Scots language audit to provide an understanding of the barriers to provision in secondary schools.

Question S3O-06158: Bill Wilson, West of Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 05/03/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recently published Audit of Current Scots Language Provision in Scotland and my survey of local education authorities, which identified the benefits of teaching Scots in schools, and anecdotal evidence suggesting that the expansion of such provision is constrained by a lack of qualified teachers, what steps it will consider to remedy the situation.

Answered by Fiona Hyslop (05/03/2009): The Scottish Government considers Scots to be an important part of Scotland's distinctive linguistic and cultural heritage. The audit of current provision provides baseline data and is the basis for consideration of the provision of and planning for the Scots language in public life across Scotland.

The curriculum for excellence experiences and outcomes encourage appropriate emphasis on Scotland's literature and the languages of Scotland. The curriculum for excellence offers teachers the flexibility to respond innovatively to the needs and interests of their pupils.

Bill Wilson: According to Katrina MacLeod of the Scots Language Centre and Perth and Kinross Council library service, the demand for Scots language teaching resources significantly outstrips supply. In this year o hamecomin, will the Government take action to ensure that supply meets demand?

Fiona Hyslop: Learning and Teaching Scotland already provides examples of good practice and materials that can be used to address the shortages and the demand that Bill Wilson has identified. In the year of homecoming, I have already seen excellent practice in the Scots language. Dunning primary school, which is in the Perth and Kinross Council area, has an excellent homecoming project, and Scots language provision is part and parcel of that experience.

Question S3W-21111: Christina McKelvie, Central Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 17/02/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce a Scots translation of Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation: Independence and responsibility in the modern world.

Answered by Michael Russell (17/03/2009): A summary of Choosing Scotland''s Future: A National Conversation: Independence and responsibility in the modern world has been translated into Scots and can be found on the Scottish Government website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/a-national-conversation/Translated-Summaries.

The Scottish Government is demonstrating its commitment to the development of Scots through initiatives such as the publication of the audit of Scots language activity; the Scots language seminar held on 9 February 2009 and our financial support for two important Scots language bodies*. We are considering, in light of these initiatives, further actions to support the development of Scots.

*Scottish language Dictionaries and Scottish Language Centre.

Question S3W-21039: Christina McKelvie, Central Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 16/02/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to take forward the recommendations contained in the report, Audit of Current Scots Language Provision in Scotland.

Answered by Michael Russell (05/03/2009): It is clear to me that the recommendations contained in the report of the Audit of Current Scots Language Provision in Scotland cannot be taken forward seriously without involving the Scots language community.

My predecessor Linda Fabiani also shared this view, and shortly after publication of the audit hosted a conference on 9 February 2009 for individuals and organisations with an interest in Scots language matters, where the findings of the research were formally presented and possible ways forward to better promote and develop the Scots language in future were discussed.

I intend to capitalize on the suggestions and views expressed by delegates at the conference and as a next step will soon carry out more focused consultation on the emerging issues with representatives from the Scots language community.

Question S3W-21040: Christina McKelvie, Central Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 16/02/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will institute ongoing monitoring of provision of support for the Scots language in order to build on the work done in the audit of current provision for the Scots language.

Answered by Michael Russell (05/03/2009): The Audit of Current Provision for the Scots Language was not intended to be exhaustive and could not capture every single act of provision in Scotland during the time available to the staff undertaking the research. However, the Scottish Government recognises the potential that such a resource offers to policy makers and language practitioners, and will take steps to enable individuals or organisations whose acts of provision were not captured in the first instance by the audit to send reports on their activities. Our intention is that the table of provision contained within the audit becomes a living document, so that a broader picture of provision in Scotland may be presented throughout the year, as reported by Scots language providers.

Question S3W-19867: Karen Whitefield, Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 16/01/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions (a) officials and (b) Scottish ministers have met representatives of (i) Scottish Language Dictionaries, (ii) the Scots Language Centre and (iii) Itchy Coo since May 2008.

Answered by Linda Fabiani (06/02/2009): During this period officials and Ministers from the Scottish Government, as well as officials from the Scottish Arts Council, have met representatives from these organisations on a number of occasions.

Question S3W-19868: Karen Whitefield, Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 16/01/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership is of the Scots Language Audit Research Advisory Group.

Answered by Linda Fabiani (06/02/2009): The Research Advisory Group comprises the following members:

Janet Ruiz “ Principal Research Officer, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Analytical Services, Scottish Government

Julie Carr “ Senior Research Officer, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Analytical Services, Scottish Government

Michael Napier “ Policy Officer, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Directorate, Scottish Government

Emma Wilson, Policy Adviser, Schools Directorate, Scottish Government

Matthew Fitt, Itchy Coo

James Robertson, Itchy Coo.

Question S3W-19869: Karen Whitefield, Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 16/01/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the Scots Language Audit Research Advisory Group has met.

Answered by Linda Fabiani (06/02/2009): The Research Advisory Group met four times in an advisory capacity to facilitate the research process for the audit and to provide relevant contacts in the Scots language sector to the contracted researcher.

Question S3W-19870: Karen Whitefield, Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 16/01/2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the recommendations of the Scots Language Audit Research Advisory Group.

Answered by Linda Fabiani (06/02/2009): It is not within the remit of the Research Advisory Group to make recommendations in respect of the audit. The audit report and findings were published on 27 January and can be viewed on the Scottish Government''s website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/01/23133726/0.

The Scottish Government is hosting a one-day conference at the University of Stirling on 9 February to formally present the findings of the audit to interested parties and to enable discussion of possible ways forward for promoting and developing the Scots language in future.