Question S2W-19464: Adam Ingram, South of Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 22/09/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18690 by Peter Peacock on 20 September 2005, how much funding is available for the development of educational resources for the teaching of Scottish literature and the works of Robert Burns at both primary and secondary school levels.

Answered by Peter Peacock (30/09/2005): In 2004-05, the Scottish Executive provided £13.7 million of funding to Learning and Teaching Scotland towards the development of educational resources. Some of this funding was directed to supporting Scots language and literacy in Scottish schools. However, there is no general prescription as to how these funds are specifically directed as it is important that Learning and Teaching Scotland respond to the changing demands of the primary and secondary teaching communities.

The Scottish Arts Council have provided the following funding towards the promotion of Scottish Literature and Robert Burns in Scottish schools:

Live Literature Scotland

£154,500  - 2004-05

£164,500 - 2005-06

Itchy Coo

£150,000 - 2001

 £37,500 - 2004

BRAW

£30,000 – 2004

Question S2W-18690: Adam Ingram, South of Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 24/08/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available for the development of educational resources for the teaching of Scottish literature and the works of Robert Burns at both primary and secondary school levels.

Answered by Peter Peacock (20/09/2005): The Scottish Executive provides Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) with core funding part of which is directed towards supporting Scots language and literacy in Scottish schools. This funding has for example enabled LTS to develop resources such as a Tam O’Shanter CD-ROM and an electronic resource on Edwin Morgan’s poetry.

Funding is also available from the Scottish Arts Council who support such projects as: Itchy Coo, a Scottish story book publishing company; BRAW (Books, Reading and Writing), a Scottish Book Trust initiative with an aim of getting books, particularly Scottish into schools and Live Literature Scotland (LLS), a unique funding scheme which takes Scottish writers, playwrights, poets, storytellers and their work to every corner of Scottish society.

Question S2W-17493: Brian Adam, Aberdeen North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 21/06/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make use of the new EU linguistic regime, agreed at the General Affairs Council meeting of 13 June 2005, in respect of languages that fall outwith the scope of Council Regulation 1/1958 but have recognition within the constitutional order of a member state, with particular regard to (a) Gaelic and (b) Scots.

Answered by Robert Brown (14/07/2005): The Scottish Executive has no plans to establish official translation facilities between English and Scots for the purpose of communicating with EU institutions.

In relation to Gaelic I refer the member to the question S2W-17412 answered on 29 June 2005

Question S2W-17297: Robert Brown, Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 13/06/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing for Gaelic and Scots lexicographical projects and whether it plans to increase this support.

Answered by Peter Peacock (27/06/2005): The Scottish Executive recognisesthe importance of dictionaries for the language and culture of Scotland andcommends the valuable work that has been done over the years. Scottish Executivefunding for Gaelic and Scots lexicographical projects is provided through the ScottishArts Council and Bòrd na Gàidhlig, with additional support from the Heritage LotteryFund, the Leverhulme Trust and other sources. The level of support for such projectsis a matter for the bodies concerned.

Question S2W-16131: Elaine Murray, Dumfries, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 21/04/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has committed for the protection and promotion of the Scots language in this year and the next two financial years.

Answered by Patricia Ferguson (05/05/2005): The Scottish Executive has not earmarked a specific budget for Scots language development. It provides funding for Scots activities through the general resources which it makes available to cultural and educational bodies, local authorities and the enterprise network. There are a range of groups supporting and promoting Scots in Scotland including the Scots Language Society, the Scots Language Resource Centre, Scottish Language Dictionaries, Dictionary of the Scottish Tongue and the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. Expenditure by these bodies and groups on projects and programmes related to the Scots language is not centrally collated.

The Executive has advocated the inclusion of Scots in the school curriculum where appropriate. There is continuing support on the part of the Scottish Executive, Learning and Teaching Scotland, and the Scottish Qualifications Authority which is designed to assist schools in making pupils aware of the richness and diversity of language, including Scots, in introducing them to a range of Scottish literature, and in encouraging them to develop the ability to understand and to communicate effectively in forms of Scots.

Question S2W-15732: Rob Gibson, Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 04/04/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any children have been unable to achieve their potential as a result of being taught only through the medium of English. The member has provided the following Scots translation: Tae speir at the Scottish Executive gin ony bairns hasnae been able tae rax their potential acause o bein learnt throu the medium o English by its lane.

Answered by Peter Peacock (26/04/2005): The Executive does not have any evidence to support this statement. It is the responsibility of schools and teachers to ensure that learning, teaching and assessment support all pupils’ progress and achievement, using whichever approaches and media best meet their individual needs.

Question S2W-15708: Rob Gibson, Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 01/04/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to teach more school pupils through the medium of Scots.

Answered by Peter Peacock (26/04/2005): The detailed delivery of the curriculum is a matter for local authorities. This covers both teaching in and about Scots. The Scottish Executive’s National Guidelines on English Language 5-14, advises schools to “encourage discussion and develop perceptions of Scottish languages, and how they relate to the lives and experiences of Scottish people”.  This guidance also comments on the status of Scots in schools by suggesting that Scottish writing and writing about Scotland should permeate the curriculum and be introduced from an early stage, taking its place beside English literature. The guidelines note that the language children bring to school is often distinctive and schools should “enable pupils to be confident and creative in this language”. Scottish ministers welcome the use of Itchy-Coo materials and personnel in schools but recognise that the selection of these and other Scots materials is a matter for schools and education authorities.

The Scottish Executive does not hold information on the number of schools using the Itchy-Coo Scots language materials or project.

Question S2W-15131: Rob Gibson, Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 10/03/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12692 by Peter Peacock on 14 December 2004, what information it has on whether its recommendation to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that the guide should be translated into Gaelic has been implemented and whether the guide will be translated into Scots.

Answered by Peter Peacock (18/03/2005): Discussions between the Scottish Executive and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the UK Government’s plans for translating the Guide to the European Union have not yet been concluded.

Question S2W-14410: Michael Matheson, Central Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 11/02/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific actions it has taken to implement the advice on enhancing the status of the Scots language contained in the last report of the European Committee of Experts on the United Kingdom's application of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

Answered by Patricia Ferguson (08/03/2005): The Committee of Experts recommended to the UK government that it should help create conditions for the use of Scots in public life, through the adoption of a language policy and concrete measures, in co-operation with the speakers of the language. The Executive has committed itself to the development of a national language strategy to this end.

Question S2W-14374: Michael Matheson, Central Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 10/02/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13616 by Peter Peacock on 31 January 2005, in which specific policies the principles of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, as these relate to Scots, have been given general expression.

Answered by Patricia Ferguson (08/03/2005): The principles of the Charter, as they relate to Scots, find expression in Scottish Executive policies in education and the arts.

Question S2W-14376: Michael Matheson, Central Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 10/02/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the application of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as these relate to Scots.

Answered by Patricia Ferguson (08/03/2005): The UK government has signed Part II of the Council of Europe Charter for Regional and Minority Languages in respect of Scots. Part II consists of the main principles and objectives that are applicable to all parties and all regional and minority languages. The responsibility for the monitoring of these undertakings is principally for Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Scottish Executive assists the FCO in this exercise.

Question S2W-14377: Michael Matheson, Central Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 10/02/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any advice has been issued to civil servants concerning the application of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as these relate to Scots and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answered by Patricia Ferguson (08/03/2005): Officials of the Scottish Executive have been charged with advising ministers on the development of a national language strategy which will include measures in relation to Scots. The development of such a strategy is one of the government’s partnership commitments.

Question S2W-14378: Michael Matheson, Central Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 10/02/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued any advice to local authorities about the implementation of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as these relate to Scots.

Answered by Patricia Ferguson (08/03/2005): Local authorities were issued with advice on the Charter in February 2002. At this point the Scottish Executive wrote to all Scottish local authorities and public bodies informing them that the UK Government had signed the Charter and informed them of the specific measures and undertakings. The Scottish Executive has also issued guidance to local authorities on the use of Scots in the classrooms.

Question S2W-14379: Michael Matheson, Central Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 10/02/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how it funds and resources the Scots language; what level of funding it has made available to support the Scots language in each of the last three years, and how much funding it will make available in the next financial year.

Answered by Patricia Ferguson (08/03/2005): The Scottish Executive has not earmarked a specific budget for Scots language development. It provides funding for Scots activities through the general resources which it makes available to cultural and educational bodies, local authorities and the enterprise network. Expenditure by these bodies on projects and programmes related to the Scots language is not centrally collated.

Question S2W-13616: Michael Matheson, Central Scotland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 18/01/2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken, and intends to take, to implement the obligations on it arising from the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in relation to (a) Gaelic and (b) Scots.

Answered by Peter Peacock (31/01/2005): The UK government has signed up for Part II (general principles) of the charter with regard to Scots and Gaelic and Part III which seeks to translate the general principles into specific undertakings, for Gaelic. The Scottish Executive is committed to policies which will assist the UK government to meet the charter obligations for which it has responsibility in relation to Gaelic and Scots. The Scottish Executive considers Gaelic and Scots to be important aspects of Scotland’s distinctive linguistic and cultural heritage and seeks to give expression to the general principles in its policies. In relation to Gaelic the Scottish Executive is also taking action in areas such as education, media, public services and cultural activities. These actions include the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill and a National Languages Strategy. The UK government will provide a detailed report to the Council of Europe on Charter compliance in 2005.