The Scottish Executive's draft languages strategy has now been put out to consultation. The draft strategy emphasises that everyone in Scotland needs to be fluent in English but also aims to promote linguistic diversity. On Scotland's own indigenous languages, it pledges that Scots "will be treated with pride and respect" and proposes that Gaelic be promoted an protected. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Patricia Ferguson, said that it aims to provide a coherent approach to guide the development of languages in Scotland. Michael Hance, director of the SLC, said: "I have examined the proposals in the strategy today and can't understand why the Executive has taken four years to produce this document. From the point of view of the Scots language, apart from the numerous errors of fact, there appears to be very little on offer that doesn't exist already. "However, this is what we have been given to work with and it is the responsibility of Scots activists to communicate their points of view to the government in the hope something better will emerge from the consultation. In the meantime I will be asking others from within the community to meet to discuss what to do next." The consultation documents can be found on the Executive's website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/01/24130746/0 The consultation finishes on 9 March