HC Deb 28 June 1994 vol 245 cc497-8W
Mr. Wilson

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make a statement on the future of funding arrangements for Gaelic-medium education;

(2) if he will initiate a strategy aimed at ensuring the continuation of Gaelic-medium education into secondary schools;

(3) how many responses he has received to Her Majesty's inspectors' report on Gaelic education; and if he will place a summary of the responses in the Library.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The Scottish Office Education Department has received 123 responses to Her Majesty's inspectorate report "Provision for Gaelic Education in Scotland". These are currently being analysed and summarised, and a copy of the summary will be placed in the Library in due course.

We intend to take account of the inspectorate report and the comments which have been received on it in formulating future policy for Gaelic education, on which I will make an announcement in due course.

Mr. Wilson

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children are now receiving Gaelic-medium education in primary schools, by local authority areas.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The 1993 school census showed that 1,144 primary school pupils were receiving Gaelic medium cross-curricular instruction. This figure is broken down by local authority areas as follows:-

Local Authority Area Number of Pupils
Highland 414
Strathclyde 398
Western Isles 309
Grampian 17
Tayside 6
Total 1,144

This figure excludes primary school pupils receiving bilingual Gaelic/English instruction or other Gaelic instruction.

Mr. Wilson

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to safeguard the place of Gaelic-medium education following the reorganisation of local government.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

I see no risk to Gaelic education arising out of local government reorganisation, as the new authorities will have the same responsibilities as the old. The Scottish Office Education Department will issue guidance to education authorities after the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill receives Royal Assent.