Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 10 December 2025.
Rhoda Grant
Labour
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of parents now being able to request Gaelic school provision in their areas, what financial and resource support it is providing to local authorities to ensure that such requests can be considered and implemented. (S6O-05264)
Kate Forbes
Scottish National Party
A number of sources of financial support are in place to respond to requests for Gaelic school provision. That can include support from the learning estate investment programme, the local authority’s capital programme and the Scottish Government’s Gaelic schools capital fund. We also provide resource funding to help with the delivery of Gaelic-medium education. Further support for GME in schools comes from a range of bodies, including Education Scotland and Stòrlann.
Rhoda Grant
Labour
The Cabinet secretary will be aware that the retention and development of the Gaelic language hinge on tackling depopulation in the Gaelic heartlands. What support is the Scottish Government providing to employers and further education institutions to enable them to target population retention? What specific measures are being taken to expand the pipeline of qualified teachers in Gaelic-medium education in order to tackle staffing shortages?
Kate Forbes
Scottish National Party
Rhoda Grant has asked a number of questions, so I might not do justice to them all in my answer.
First, the need to provide support for the Gaelic heartlands is precisely why the establishment of areas of linguistic significance is critical. I am keen to move at pace in encouraging local authorities to engage with communities before presenting proposals for the designation of areas as areas of linguistic significance, because that will unlock a number of other support provisions.
Secondly, on support for employers, we recently renamed the Gaelic group that I help to chair. We had our first meeting under the new name of Tog this week, and there are—for the first time, I think—representatives from the private sector on that group. That indicates how important it is that the private sector is also supported. Through that group, we are considering how to support the creation of new jobs.
Given that the light on my microphone is flashing, I will write to Rhoda Grant on the issue of qualified teachers, which is a matter of priority.
Jamie Hepburn
Scottish National Party
Pupils are being provided with an excellent Gaelic-medium education in my Constituency—which is outwith the Gaelic heartlands—in Condorrat primary school and Greenfaulds high school, but there is a desire among the community for a dedicated GME campus for those aged three to 18. Does the Deputy First Minister agree that, even where there is already provision, local authorities should be open to considering new requests to further enhance such education, particularly in areas outwith the Gàidhealtachd?
Kate Forbes
Scottish National Party
I commend the work that goes on at Condorrat primary school and Greenfaulds high school, and I share Jamie Hepburn’s aspiration for enhancing Gaelic-medium education. He is absolutely right to reflect that GME campuses for those aged three to 18 are transformational, because all the data and evidence indicate that, when a child is educated in an entirely Gaelic-medium area from the age of three to 18, the outcomes are stronger.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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