Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 24 April 2018
24 Apr 2018 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
National Plan for Gaelic
I welcome the consensual tone of the debate, but does the member think that the part of the Tory amendment on ensuring that we have
“sufficient numbers of Gaelic ... teachers available to meet the demand”
is slightly hypocritical, in that the Tories actively stand in the way of Gaelic-speaking qualified teachers such as Sìne Halfpenny teaching in our schools, despite a long but unsuccessful campaign to allow that lady, who is from Nova Scotia, to teach on the island of Mull?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-11788, in the name of John Swinney, on the national plan for Gaelic. Some members have indicated that th...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney)
SNP
It gives me great pleasure to open this debate on the national plan for Gaelic. The ability to make our own decisions in this Parliament has been good for Ga...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
Scottish Conservatives are delighted to support the Government’s motion and the Labour amendment. The Scottish Conservative Party has a proud record of sup...
Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
The interpreters can relax: I do not have the Gaelic and I will not torture any word of the language by pretending otherwise. However, I have a little experi...
John Finnie (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Green
’S e latha math a th’ ann. ’S toil leam a bhith ag èisteachd ri Gàidhlig anns a’ Phàrlamaid againn. Tha mi às na Cluainean, baile beag snog ri taobh Loch Lò...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
John Swinney might recall that he and I were on a panel at Culloden academy in advance of the 2014 independence referendum. The green room happened to be a p...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
Does Willie Rennie agree that John Farquhar Munro’s greatest unrealised political objective was to turn this country into a monoglot country in which people ...
Willie Rennie
LD
Yes. I will resist. Laughter. Ray Michie was also a firm advocate of the Gaelic language. In fact, she took her oath in the House of Commons in Gaelic. When...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We move to the open debate. Speeches should be of up to five minutes, please. 15:42
Kate Forbes (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP)
SNP
Ann an 1959, sgrìobh an sgoilear cliùiteach Calum MacIlleathain mun sgìre agamsa, “in Glen Roy I found the only Gaelic speakers in Lochaber under 40 years o...
Edward Mountain (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
When I meet constituents across the Highlands and Islands, there are signs of Gaelic everywhere that I travel on our roads, in our stations and by our lochs ...
John Finnie
Green
I am a bit concerned about the description of how you would establish demand. Can you clarify that? You would certainly want a situation where the local auth...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I remind members that they should always speak through the chair and not have direct conversations. So—through the chair, please, Mr Mountain.
Edward Mountain
Con
Thank you, Presiding Officer. The point that I was trying to make is about where we should encourage demand and build on existing demand rather than just say...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
Tha mi nam bhodach: I am an old mannie, so I am unlikely to learn Gaelic before I shuffle off this mortal coil. However, like many of us, I have Gaelic antec...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
I do not know how to say, “Please conclude” in Gaelic, but please conclude. 15:58
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to speak in this afternoon’s debate. It comes not long after our recent debate on intangible cultural heritage, in which many members raised the...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I have to be tight with speeches. We have no time in hand. I ask for five-minute speeches, please. 16:04
Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP)
SNP
It is a pleasure to be able to speak once again in support of the Gaelic language and the work that will get under way to deliver the aims that are set out i...
Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Scotland’s Gaelic heritage is something that all parties in this chamber rightly stand ready to protect and uphold. My colleague Liz Smith spoke about some o...
Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the consensual tone of the debate, but does the member think that the part of the Tory amendment on ensuring that we have “sufficient numbers of G...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
That was a long intervention, Mr Halcro Johnston—I am sorry, but I have no spare time to give you.
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
It is a shame that the member has brought up the issue of immigration in a debate about the plans for the Gaelic language, but there we are. Gaelic-medium e...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I am afraid that you must stop there. That is a good place to stop.
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Con
I am just about to finish.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
You have had an extra 25 seconds, and I have no time left. 16:14
Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I will open with a quote from the very fine writer Joseph Conrad that has always resonated with me. “History repeats itself”, he wrote, “but the special cal...
John Finnie
Green
Will the member take an intervention?
Joan McAlpine
SNP
Yes.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Sorry—I was drifting there. I drift occasionally. I call Mr Finnie.