HC Deb 22 July 1985 vol 83 cc390-1W
Mr. Donald Stewart

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the amount of direct expenditure by his Department on the Gaelic language in 1984–85; if he will provide a breakdown; and what the percentage increase in spending has been compared to the 1983–84 level.

Mr. George Younger

The Scottish Education Department made the following direct payments to organisations and projects connected with the Gaelic language in 1984–85:

£
An Comunn Gaidhealach 69,300
Sabhal Mor Ostaig 11,750
The Committee on Gaelic of the Consultative Committee on the Curriculum 3,320
Research grant for the Evaluation of the Western Isles Island Council Bilingual Project 30,803
115,173

This is an increase of 25 per cent. over 1983–84. These figures exclude the amounts given to support the Gaelic language by the Scottish Arts Council and the Highlands and Islands Development Board.

Mr. Donald Stewart

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the secondary schools in Scotland which teach subjects using Gaelic as the teaching medium.

Mr. Allan Stewart

For September 1983 the following table shows:

  1. (a) The number of secondary schools where subjects other than Gaelic were taught using Gaelic as the teaching medium;
  2. (b) The number of secondary schools in Gaelic speaking areas where the scheme of instruction provided for teaching the Gaelic language and literature to Gaelic

(a) (b)
Central 0 1
Grampian 0 1
Highland 0 14
Strathclyde—Argyll & Bute Glasgow 0 6
0 4
Tayside 0 2
Western Isles 10 16

Further details of the practices in individual schools can be obtained from the authorities concerned.