Gaelic and Scots and Scottish Languages Bill: Scottish Government commitments
The Scottish Government has made a number of commitments to the Gaelic and Scots languages. Among these there are four key commitments which can be regarded as particularly significant with the other commitments falling under these broad areas. The four key commitments are:
to establish a new strategic approach to Gaelic medium education (GME)
to explore the creation of a Gàidhealtachd
to review the structure and functions of Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnG)
to take action on the Scots language.
Where primary legislation is needed for these, the commitment to a Scottish Languages Bill could serve as the legislative vehicle that will enable progress to be made with these commitments.
Over recent years there has been good support for Gaelic. A range of projects and initiatives have been put in place and important legislation has been supported in the Scottish Parliament. There has also been an increase in support for Scots and growth in resources available. With these new commitments and the growing evidence of support for these languages the Scottish Government would like to take additional steps in support of Gaelic and Scots.
The consultation paper will take each of the key commitments in turn, describing the key commitment and those subsidiary commitments which we consider as being connected to or falling under these broad areas. The Scottish Government will try to set the scene by providing a range of views that have been shared with us thus far through informal consultation with a range of stakeholders.
You can find the full consultation here
This consultation closes on 8 December