§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total amount of Government support for the Gaelic language in each financial year since 1974–75; what is the amount in 1985–86; what amount has been estimated for 1986–87; and, for each year, if he will divide the total amount into relevant expenditure headings.
§ Mr. RifkindThe figures are as follows:
* The census 1971 Scotland Gaelic report shows that 88,415 of the population can speak, read or write Gaelic. This figure has been used to calculate the amount per Gaelic speaker up to and including 1980–81. From 1981–82 the 1981 census figure of 82,620 Gaelic speakers was used.
† Estimate.
§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil servants employed within his Department are Gaelic-speaking; and what proportion of total staff this figure represents.
§ Mr. RifkindMy Department does not maintain comprehensive records of Gaelic speaking staff.
§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to provide forms for the 1991 census in Gaelic.
§ Mr. RifkindCensus forms are prescribed by regulations made under the Census Act 1920, which requires the regulations to be laid before Parliament. There is no legislative provision for forms to be prescribed in Gaelic.
§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered making it his policy to release press statements, where appropriate, in a bilingual Gaelic-English format.
§ Mr. RifkindThe Scottish information office issues news releases in Gaelic when it is appropriate to do so. Three such texts were released last yeer on behalf of the Scottish Education Department, dealing with a speech by my predecessor at Sabhal Mor Ostaig in Skye, a report by 501W Her Majesty's Inspectorate on Stoneybridge primary school, South Uist, and my reaction to the document "Towards a National Policy for Gaelic" respectively. In each case, the information was also available in English.
§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate in which regions or other areas of Scotland it is possible for parents to register births, marriages and deaths in the Gaelic language.
§ Mr. RifkindProcedures for registering births, marriages and deaths in Scotland are governed by legislation which makes no provision for the use of Gaelic and all forms are printed solely in English. However, Gaelic names are recorded in the registers.
Information on the number of registrars able to speak Gaelic is not held centrally.