Question S3W-06377: Alasdair Allan, Western Isles, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 15/11/2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a question on the Scots language will be included in the 2011 census in Scotland, in the same way that a question on the Gaelic language is asked.

Answered by Jim Mather (29/11/2007): The General RegisterOffice for Scotland (which is responsible for the Scottish census) included a question about the Scots language in a census test last spring but a final decision has not been taken. Under current plans, a formal proposal on the topics to be includedin the 2011 census will be presented to Parliament in autumn 2008 and Parliament’s final approval to the census questions will be sought early in 2010.

Question S3W-05124: Tavish Scott, Shetland, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 04/10/2007

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-4117 by Linda Fabiani on 26 September 2007, whether it has any plans to consult dialect interest groups and other bodies on the development of policies to support and encourage the use of local dialects and, if so, when the consultation will take place, what form it will take and which groups and bodies will be consulted.

Answered by Linda Fabiani (31/10/2007): The Scottish Governmentis committed to promoting and encouraging the use of Scots in all its regional form sin education, broadcasting and the arts. As stated in the answer to question S3W-4117 on 26 September 2007, we have no plans for a formal consultation on the use of dialects in Scotland but would always welcome the views of groups and individuals on this subject.

Question S3O-00836: Gil Paterson, West of Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 26/09/2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what strategy is in place to promote the use of the Scots language.

Answered by Linda Fabiani (04/10/2007): As the member fo rthe West of Scotland will recall, in our pre-election manifesto the Scottish Government gave commitments to promote an increased awareness of Scots and its literature,and to actively encourage the use of Scots in education, broadcasting and the arts.

I am currently in discussion with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and the Minister for Schools and Skills about how we may take forward these commitments, but as I said recently at a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, I am open to suggestions from individual parliamentarians,committees or cross-party groups on how we may give practical application to ourcommitments.

It may interest the member for West Scotland to know that my colleague Maureen Watt has accepted an invitation to attend a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-PartyGroup on Scots.

Question S2W-32246: Chris Ballance, South of Scotland, Scottish Green Party, Date Lodged: 07/03/2007

To ask the Scottish Executive when the strategy for the Scots language promised in Scotland’s Culture: Scottish Executive Response on the Cultural Review will be published.

Answered by Patricia Ferguson (19/03/2007): In the Partnership Agreementof 2003, and as also referred to in the above policy document, Scottish ministersgave the commitment to publish a national languages strategy which will celebrateand promote the rich diversity of languages currently spoken in Scotland, includingScots.

A draft version of A Strategy for Scotland’s Languages is currently available for public consultation. The consultation period is due to end on 19 March 2007, after which we will publish a final version of the strategy that takes account of the responses received.