§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the total Government expenditure on the promotion and development of the Gaelic language in each year since 1985.
§ Mr. LangGovernment expenditure consists of grant aid, under the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985, to 483W bodies which support the Gaelic language and culture and a scheme of specific grants to local authorities for Gaelic education.
The breakdown of expenditure by financial year is as follows:
Gaelic Bodies Specific Grants for Gaelic Education £ £ 1985–86 121,000 Nil 1986–87 131,000 250,000 1987–88 179,123 300,000 1988–89 208,000 500,000 1989–90 298,000 850,000 1990–91 305,000 1,200,000