S3O-00836: Scots Language

To ask the Scottish Executive what strategy is in place to promote the use of the Scots language.

Answered by Linda Fabiani (04/10/2007): As the member forthe West of Scotland will recall, in our pre-election manifesto the Scottish Governmentgave commitments to promote an increased awareness of Scots and its literature,and to actively encourage the use of Scots in education, broadcasting and the arts.

I am currently indiscussion with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and theMinister for Schools and Skills about how we may take forward these commitments,but as I said recently at a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Lifelong Learningand Culture Committee, I am open to suggestions from individual parliamentarians,committees or cross-party groups on how we may give practical application to ourcommitments.

It may interest themember for West Scotland to know that my colleague Maureen Watt hasaccepted an invitation to attend a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-PartyGroup on Scots.