Centre reacts to Scots Audit

The Scots Language Centre has given an enthusiastic welcome to the Scots audit report which was published on 27 January.

Speaking yesterday, Michael Hance, the Director of the Centre said, “We’re very pleased with the content of the report. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind about the excellent work the Scots organisations are doing to encourage the language and support the community of speakers.”

He said the Centre was, “looking forward” to the next stage of the process which will include a consultative conference to be held in Stirling in February.

Colin Milton, convener of the Centre’s Council, urged the government to give some indication of its plans for those Scots organisations which have had their funding withdrawn by the Scottish Arts Council. Dr Milton said, “Now that the audit is complete we need some decisions about the future funding of the Centre and the Scottish Language Dictionaries. Like the Centre the Dictionaries have emerged from this process in a favourable light. We need to hear from the government soon about how it intends to deal with the present funding crisis.”

Culture Minister, Linda Fabiani, set up the audit after years of campaigning by Scots activists who wanted to see an inquiry being conducted in to Scots in the way that previous administrations had investigated support for Gaelic. The Audit is the most wide ranging and broadest investigation into Scots ever undertaken by government.