Short Life Working Group on Economic and Social Opportunities for Gaelic: report

2 Introduction

2.1 The Short Life Working Group

In March 2022, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy convened a Short Life Working Group (the group) with an aim to strengthen Gaelic by means of a focus on economic opportunities and to strengthen the economy by making the most of Gaelic opportunities. The group was asked to approach the task with a primary objective of strengthening Gaelic-speaking communities. It was asked to consider recommendations and where they should be directed. The full remit is included in Annex 1.

The group comprised Agnes Rennie, Arthur Cormack, Councillor Calum Munro, Faye MacLeod, Iain MacRury, Iseabail Mactaggart and Joanna Peteranna. Iain MacRury was unable to attend meetings of the group. Iseabail Mactaggart chaired the group until 30 August 2022 after which she stood down on taking up a new executive role. Arthur Cormack chaired the group after that date.

The group would like to thank Iseabail for her considerable input and drive at the beginning of the process. Thanks, too, to all the contributors as well as Scottish Government colleagues who provided support to the group.

Although it was expected the group would meet 6 times, the scale of the task necessitated further inquiry and a longer timescale. The group met 18 times.

In addition to the individual experiences and knowledge among members, the group considered written and verbal points from Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE), Welsh Government officials as well as other individuals and groups. The group was also alert to a range of views in the debate around the need for improved support for Gaelic, as well as current levers in place to support that. We are grateful to all those who contributed and to Scottish Government colleagues for advice throughout the process.

2.2 Vision and Definitions

The group assumes that the cultural contribution of Gaelic is well understood. Scotland benefits from the presence of increasingly diverse cultures but the group takes the view that, as a unique aspect of the country's heritage, every effort to ensure Gaelic's continued acquisition and use should be supported.

The National Strategy for Economic Transformation seeks to empower rural communities across Scotland and sets out the Scottish Government's ambition to have one of the most successful and thriving economies in the world, ensuring all of Scotland benefits from investment in the skills and industries of the future.

The group welcomes the strategy's focus on community wealth building to tackle long-standing economic challenges and transform Scotland's local and regional economies. It is expected this would see the public sector, working with the private, third and community sectors, to ensure more wealth is generated and retained in communities and localities.

The wishes of the people should be paramount in building successful communities in which Gaelic can be used. Influence over the local economy, and more benefit from the wealth they help generate, could prove to be a significant motivation for community action.

Economic and cultural activity cannot be viewed separately. Cultural events contribute significantly to Scotland's economy as well as offering social cohesion in communities and opportunities to use Gaelic. The language is of considerable interest to visitors coming to Scotland who also contribute to the economy. In language planning terms, the desire to use Gaelic is influenced by the language's status. Economic opportunities and social activities can often inspire people to acquire, or make more use of, Gaelic skills.

In preparing this report, with its focus on economic opportunities and strengthening the economy, the group's agreed vision is to see:

• Gaelic used increasingly to create economic benefit
• An increase in the number of Gaelic speakers
• An increase in the opportunities for Gaelic to be used in social settings.

2.3 Challenges Facing Gaelic

The group was convened against a backdrop of a range of challenges for the Gaelic language, rural communities and the economy. These are interlinked and, while not new, there has been much discussion in recent years about the need to strengthen Gaelic communities. The group was mindful of those issues in framing its recommendations.

Demographics show that even in places where the general population has increased, the number of young people has decreased. The problem is even greater in places where populations continue to decline, with a negative impact on school rolls. This, in turn, has an impact on numbers of pupils in Gaelic education, for example, on which there will be some reliance to fill Gaelic-related jobs in the future. Therefore, the task of maintaining numbers of Gaelic speakers is demanding enough before considering ways to increase them.

Support for the Gaelic language has increased over the past few years, demonstrated through the numbers of families enrolling their children in Gaelic education, numbers attending Gaelic arts events, numbers watching BBC ALBA, listening to BBC Radio nan Gàidheal and engaging with Gaelic in digital media and, not least, the huge numbers signed up to adult learning through Duolingo and SpeakGaelic.

Nevertheless, there is still a lot of negative comment on Gaelic, usually when funding is awarded to specific initiatives. There is a risk that the potential backlash could have a negative impact on politicians' attitudes towards further supporting Gaelic. At present this does not appear to be the case, but negativity towards Gaelic should be countered at every opportunity.

While it might appear Gàidheil - Gaelic speakers – are not specifically protected under the Equality Act 2010, in his Independent Review of Hate Crime Legislation in Scotland, Lord Bracadale stated "there is a fairly strong argument that Gaelic speaking Gaels belong to an 'ethnic group' within the meaning of the current race aggravation." He concluded that, in a case in which hostility towards Gaelic speakers did amount to a criminal offence, prosecution could be considered under current legislation. The group believes that, as a minority group, it is an issue of equity to focus on the needs of Gaelic speakers, which are different from the needs of people who do not speak the language.

The requirement to prepare a Gaelic Language Plan places a statutory duty on public bodies to support the Gaelic language. The work of many organisations involved in supporting Gaelic provides, in part, the inclusion and diversity public bodies seek.

Given the foregoing, the group assumes there is no question that the needs of Gaelic users can be seen in the context of equality, diversity and inclusion.

The group was formed as the consultation on the 2023-28 National Gaelic Language Plan was underway and the proposed measures in that were considered in reaching recommendations. The Scottish Government itself has since completed a consultation on its proposals for future support of Gaelic and Scots in line with commitments made in the SNP manifesto prior to the 2021 Scottish parliamentary elections.

The group believes there is unrealised potential to support Gaelic communities through public sector Gaelic Language Plans, as well as the National Islands Plan and recently-published Islands Growth Deal. Reflected in its recommendations is the group's view that a move towards more meaningful Gaelic Language Plans is required which offer clearer, more ambitious commitments along with a means of ensuring their delivery, including additional financial resources.

The group is in no doubt that Gaelic remains in a fragile position and there must be a demonstration of urgency, across the range of bodies which can bring about positive change, to ensure the language's future.

2.4 Key Gaelic Communities

A primary objective of the group was to recommend actions which would strengthen Gaelic-speaking communities. The group has defined Key Gaelic Communities as all those in Na h-Eileanan Siar, Skye & some districts of Lochalsh, Tiree, Islay and Jura – places where, in the 2011 census, 20% or more of the population had Gaelic abilities.

Several of the recommendations do not relate specifically to Gaelic, but to strengthening the circumstances which would enable Gaelic speakers to live and work in those communities. Retaining people in those places and encouraging people to return to them, while growing the number of Gaelic speakers, would support the creation of social opportunities for use of the language and economic benefits for the communities.

It is accepted that implementing the group's recommendations may have particular impact in communities with higher concentrations of Gaelic speakers, but some will be equally applicable to Gaelic-speaking communities of all kinds across Scotland. The group believes efforts to encourage Gaelic use by all communities should continue to be supported, but that additional support is needed in those identified as Key Gaelic Communities.

2.5 Opportunities

While there are undoubtedly challenges facing the Gaelic language, these should be turned into opportunities for communities of all kinds, in particular those where its everyday use could be strengthened.

The group welcomes the good progress made in many aspects of Gaelic development over the past 40 years. This is reflected in the establishment of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, better support for communities, a burgeoning of Gaelic arts, developments in the media, a range of plans and levers which exist to support Gaelic as well as the creation of a Gaelic & Scots Division within the Scottish Government.

While acknowledging the Scottish Government's support since devolution, and its Faster Rate of Progress initiative, the group feels even more urgency must now be introduced to ensure opportunities are fully realised.

Investment in Gaelic contributes to the delivery of the Scottish Government's National Performance Framework, touching on all the national outcomes, that people:

• grow up loved, safe and respected so that they realise their full potential
• live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe
• are creative and their vibrant and diverse cultures are expressed and enjoyed widely
• have a globally competitive, entrepreneurial, inclusive and sustainable economy
• are well educated, skilled and able to contribute to society
• value, enjoy, protect and enhance their environment
• have thriving and innovative businesses, with quality jobs and fair work for everyone
• are healthy and active
• respect, protect and fulfil human rights and live free from discrimination
• are open, connected and make a positive contribution internationally
• tackle poverty by sharing opportunities, wealth and power more equally.

Ar Stòras Gàidhlig was commissioned by HIE in partnership with Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Creative Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage (now NatureScot), The Highland Council, Argyll and Bute Council and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

An initial, baseline study was published in May 2014 which sought to assess the role of Gaelic as an economic and social asset. It found the potential economic value of Gaelic as an asset to the Scottish economy to be in the region of £81.6m to £148.5m.

This report is not an attempt to update Ar Stòras Gàidhlig although the group believes that work should be undertaken at some point in the future, once some of its recommendations have been implemented. The group believes there are opportunities across a range of businesses and social enterprises for more use of Gaelic, but businesses must be persuaded of the benefits for them and their workers. If the right circumstances are put in place to strengthen communities, in terms of infrastructure and technology, fostering more use of Gaelic in the provision of public services and in private businesses should be possible.

However, in the short to medium term, the group believes there is a range of Key Sectors which offer opportunities for Gaelic to be used in business, and socially, from which economic benefits will flow. While not usually considered in the context of economic activity, the group has taken the view that Gaelic education also creates economic and social opportunities.

In making recommendations, the group has considered possible developments in terms of language policy as well as interventions which respond to wider matters which affect the sustainability of Gaelic as a community language.

There is a good range of levers in place to support Gaelic and those need to be fully understood and utilised to the fullest extent possible. They include:

• The Education (Scotland) Act 1980
• Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000
• The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005
• Guidance on Gaelic Language Plans
• The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010
• The Equality Act 2010
• Statutory Guidance on Gaelic Education
• The Education (Scotland) Act 2016
• The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016
• The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018
• The National Gaelic Language Plan 2018-23
• The draft National Gaelic Language Plan 2023-28
• The National Islands Plan
• A Culture Strategy for Scotland (2022)
• The Islands Growth Deal (2023)
• Existing Scottish Government Gaelic commitments
• The Scottish Government National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET)
• Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnership (REP)
• The Scottish Land Commission's Advice to Scottish Ministers on land taxation
• Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement 2022
• Commitments relating to Gaelic made by the SNP, and other parties, in advance of the 2021 Scottish parliamentary elections
• The cross-party goodwill which exists towards Gaelic in the Scottish Parliament

Consideration may be needed of further levers which may be necessary to deliver some of the group's recommendations, including amendments to legislation which may also be an outcome of the recent Scottish Government consultation on Gaelic and Scots.

2.6 Increased Funding

The funding streams provided directly by the Scottish Government, and indirectly through Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the impact of the spend on Gaelic by other bodies such as the BBC, MG ALBA, HIE, Creative Scotland, NatureScot and a range of local authorities and other public bodies is fully acknowledged by the group.

However, it is the clear view of the group that direct spend by the Scottish Government and an enhanced budget for Bòrd na Gàidhlig will be needed to stimulate economic growth and realise fully the social and wellbeing potential of Gaelic.

The group is also acutely aware of the challenging financial circumstances in which the Scottish Government is operating. However, government financial support for Gaelic was not keeping pace with inflation prior to the high rates currently being experienced and it cannot be assumed that the base figures, more or less established in 2005-06, were at an adequate level in the first place.

Over the period since then there have been modest, welcome increases and additional one-off sums provided for individual initiatives. However, a recent assessment of Bòrd na Gàidhlig's Scottish Government grant-in-aid showed that had inflationary increases been implemented since 2007-08, the sum available to it now would be closer to £10m rather than the £5.2m received. Similarly, there has been no significant increase in the essential Scheme of Specific Grants for Gaelic Education on which many local authorities rely for their Gaelic education provision. While more mainstreaming of spend should be taking place, it is anticipated there will be a need to fund new educational provision for some time to come.

The group believes that the ability to make more meaningful progress with Gaelic will require additional, sustained spend on all aspects of its revitalisation. The group believes that, in common with other interventions to stimulate growth, economic and social benefits will accrue from further investment.

Given the economic climate, collaborative, creative solutions should be sought to ensure additional spend across the public sector, not simply directly from government. The third sector, too, has access to a large number of trust funders and National Lottery funding should also be explored in line with the aspirations of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

While we must await the outcome of the recent Scottish Government consultation on future support for Gaelic and Scots it is the group's expectation that, if Gaelic's future is to be secured and its economic and social potential realised, there will be additional finance and a range of new levers to support the development of Gaelic. This should include increased budgets for the Gaelic & Scots Division in the Scottish Government to enable it to support more work on a sustained basis. It should also include adequate resourcing for Bòrd na Gàidhlig to enable it to fulfil what has grown into a significant role as the principal public body responsible for promoting Gaelic development.

2.7 Factors impacting Gaelic Economic and Social Opportunities

The group's work was guided by a PESTLE (Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental) analysis, looking at wider factors which influence, or have the potential to affect, Gaelic economic and social opportunities. Given time constraints, this was necessarily high level but the work was a valuable guide in shaping the group's recommendations.

2.8 Monitoring Progress

The group is keen to ensure its recommendations are progressed within reasonable timescales. The group would welcome a mechanism being put in place to ensure progress can be monitored.

While it may be outwith its agreed remit, the group is willing to be involved in regular reviews of progress, along similar lines adopted in relation to various other reports which have been commissioned to provide recommendations for change or improvement in the public sector.