Hansard

(The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version).

I suppose that it is a bit odd to start in Russian, but it is a privilege to speak Russian in this chamber. I should say how I fell into it, because sometimes one falls into languages. I am of such an age that I was sent to Russia to protect people like you, Ms Ferguson, when you were in your pram, at a time when the Soviet hordes and those from other parts of eastern Europe may have been coming up Maryhill Road.

I did not use Russian much for 25 years, then I found myself in the Armenian earthquake zone. It is funny what sticks in one's mind. For example, (The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version) which is, "Get your hands up"; (The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version) which is, "Where are your headquarters?"; (The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version) which is, "Where is your command headquarters?"; and (The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version) which is, "Speak, or I shoot." It was not quite so easy in times gone by to learn simpler phrases.

A little later, at a meeting between the Minister for Parliament and I and a Russian delegation in the royal apartments of Edinburgh Castle, I said, (The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version) or, "What would you like to do in Scotland?" They said, (The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version) or, "We want whisky." Then, there was the perevodchik—the interpreter—going off to the loo, and me being left to translate. I was told, (The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version)—which means, tell my friend, Tom"—(The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version) Scotland is a four-button democracy." Tom McCabe, not surprisingly, asked what that meant. It meant that, on going to the Presiding Officer's desk, the President of the Duma had found three buttons and a zap button—which is unique to this Parliament—to switch members off. The President ended by saying, (The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version) Russia is a much more democratic society than Scotland these days."

Madame le Président, j'ai trouvé du travail durant les années 1980, mais j'ai du quitter l'Ecosse. C'était les années Thatcher, et il n'etait pas facile pour un ex-parlementaire du SNP de trouver du travail ici en Ecosse. J'ai trouvé du travail en tant que directeur des affaires publiques auprès de la Croix Rouge Internationale, à Genève. Dans la maison, il y avait cinq langues officielles: l'allemand, l'anglais, l'espagnol, le russe et l'arabe. En plus, on parlait, probablement, 40 ou 50 autres langues dans les couloirs. In the house where I worked in Geneva, 30 or 40 languages were spoken. One immediately finds oneself dans le bain—in the bath. One is submerged in languages. They have an osmotic effect on you—you pick them up in all quarters.

One begins to have different perceptions. Consider the words that we use for disability: we have the words "incapacity" and "handicap". The French have only "handicapé". That leads to great difficulties in European translation. Consider the Spanish word, "minusválidos". That is the old word for handicapped people and literally means "people of less value". Geneva is having difficulty working in the new word, "descapacitados".

I have two final thoughts. In the Europe of new languages, there is someone who sits in the chamber and asks to intervene on the Presiding Officer. If he were to say that in German would the effect be as satisfactory? "Passen Sie auf, Frau Präsidentin. Beeilen Sie sich! Es ist mein absolutes Recht zu sprechen!" I do not think that that would get too far. Perhaps it could be tried in Italian—"Signora Presidente. Sono solamente un povero ragazzo da Glasgow. Potrebbe aiutarmi?" or, "Please give me a shot, Madam President, I am just a poor guy from Glasgow and I would like so much your assistance." The important thing, in this bath, is to speak the language, to perceive the differences in culture and attitude that come from it, and above all, to enjoy it in a Europe that is not just multifaceted but multicultural.

(The Member spoke in Russian - for full Russian text see the PDF version), merci pour votre attention, et j'offre mes félicitations à Irene Oldfather pour le débat.