§ 7. Mr. KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received in favour of increased Gaelic language programmes on television in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythAnns na dha no tri bhliadhnaichean a chaidh seachad tha sinn air tagraidhean fhaighinn o bhuill uasal,comhairlean ionadail agus buidhnean Gaidhlig.—[Interruption.] If hon. Members would prefer——
§ Mr. SpeakerWhat does that mean?
§ Mr. ForsythI did not realise that you did not have the Gaelic. It means:
In recent years a number of representations have been received from hon. Members, local authorities and organisations representing the Gaelic community.My right hon. and learned Friend and I recognise the contribution which the media can make to the preservation of the Gaelic language and we have consistently encouraged the broadcasting authorities to provide a reasonable range of Gaelic programmes.
§ Mr. KennedyI thank the Minister for his sterling efforts. May I assure him that he does not sound any more acceptable to the Opposition in Gaelic than he does in English? Will he take this opportunity to welcome the recent publication by Comunn Na Gaidhlig—that is the correct pronunciation—"Towards a Gaelic Television Service"? Will he say what input, if any, the Scottish Office will have to the Government's White Paper on broadcasting, particularly the degree of influence it could exert to redress the imbalance with the United Kingdom so that Gaelic in Scotland can enjoy the same sort of broadcasting support as Welsh does in Wales? It is high irony that STV and Grampian are contributing towards the Welsh broadcasting service, but we do not have specifically designated funding in that way in Scotland.
§ Mr. ForsythI cannot anticipate what will be in the White Paper. We have received copies of the document to which he referred and we shall study its proposals with interest. The hon. Gentleman might acknowledge that the BBC and the independent television companies in Scotland are planning to increase the time that they make available for broadcasting. I know that there is still concern. The hon. Member for Argyll and Bute (Mrs. Michie) had a recent Adjournment debate and summarised that concern. We are sympathetic and we urge the Gaelic-speaking community to continue to put pressure on the broadcasting authorities, because it is a matter for them.
The hon. Gentleman will know that in Wales a considerable part of the Channel 4 take-up is given over to the language. The numbers are larger and the issues are difficult, but it is a matter that we shall bear in mind.
§ Mr. MacdonaldI congratulate the Minister on his admirable Gaelic and say "Meala naidheachd airson bruidhinn Gaidhlig agus rinn thu uamhasadh math."
§ Mr. SpeakerWhat does that mean?
§ Mr. MacdonaldThose are the kindest words I have ever spoken to the Minister.
I appreciate what the Minister said in his reply, but he must be aware by now that the broadcasting companies have made it clear that they cannot possibly increase Gaelic provision within their present financial constraints. Is it not the Government's responsibility to increase the financial allocation to the broadcasting authorities to enable them to provide a Gaelic television service or to map out other ways in which it might be done?
§ Mr. ForsythI thank the hon. Gentleman for his kind remarks.
He asked about support for the broadcasting authorities. I understand that the problem is more one of scheduling and that the commitment is there on the part of the broadcasting authorities to do more. No doubt my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Home Office will note what the hon. Gentleman said.
On the matter of giving specific financial support for Gaelic, the hon. Gentleman will be aware that we have increased the support for education authorities for the current year to £500,000 from £300,000. In addition, we are making available nearly £200,000 for grant-aid to organisations that work in support of Gaelic. I should mention that Grampian television is planning a series of programmes to support standard grade Gaelic. Gaelic is strengthening as a language and it has our support.
§ Mr. John MarshallWill my hon. Friend accept that 95 per cent. of Scottish people do not know a word of Gaelic and that they want television programmes that they can enjoy and understand in the lingua franca?
§ Mr. ForsythWhat my hon. Friend says is true. There are 80,000 Gaels in Scotland, which is about 2 per cent. of the population. However, there are concentrations in particular communities. I see no conflict between giving stimulus and support to the Gaelic language and providing the required wider programming interests through the broadcasting authorities. I believe that the development of new technology will enable more broadcasting to be achievable, and that is a matter to which I hope the broadcasting authorities are turning their minds.