Seòmar agus comataidhean

They are being supported to do that.

It is the Government that is setting the terms of how long the review process will take. How quickly we prosecute the scrutiny of the draft legislation is up to us. It is not necessarily for comment by other people.

I thank members of the bòrd for attending. The early years of devolution, post-1999, were marked by a level of anxiety about the long-term future of Gaelic as a key component of our national culture. That led to the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, which established the bòrd in 2006. How has the bòrd performed against the desired outcomes that were set out in the 2005 act?

The word “opportunity” is probably my reading of the social attitudes survey. It seems that there is demand in the population and a welcome acceptance of Gaelic as a part of national culture, with people feeling that it should be promoted, which is very positive. However, do we have the resources, and do you, as the bòrd, have the authority to meet that demand?

That is useful. I would appreciate hearing observations from the other witnesses, to set the scene on the long-term prospects of the Gaelic language. Increasing the use of Gaelic is at the core of your functions, but where are we, as a country, with regard to not just preserving but promoting and enhancing the use of the language?

The discussion on this line of questioning is useful in understanding the dynamics that are at work. Obviously, colleges face a significant set of challenges in the current budget year and an 8 per cent real-terms cut in funding as part of the Scottish Government’s spending review.

Have student officers begun to have discussions with boards of management about those challenges in recent weeks? In my home city of Dundee, discussions are taking place about the closure of courses and other issues because of what the principal of Dundee and Angus College has described as a black hole in the finances. Kirsten Koss, have you been involved in such discussions? Have those issues come across your desk?

How we balance those models in the next phase following the pandemic is really interesting. It sounds as though you are all struggling with that issue, but it is great to hear that you are addressing and engaging with it proactively.

How attractive is going to campus? Al Wilson has mentioned how challenging that can be in relation to travel costs and so on. Are the campuses places where people want to be? Is that work being done? College principals tell me that they have no capital budget and have no money to make the transition to net zero. In my local area, people are worried about Kingsway campus in Dundee. Gardyne campus has had a lot of money spent on it, but there is a worry about whether we can attract people to these places. Is there a gym that people can use? Are there childcare facilities? Do colleges have to do more to attract people back and to make campuses places where people want to go?

Heather Innes, have you been involved in such discussions?

Kirsten Koss talked about getting the voice of students heard here and in the college at the design level, so that you can say, “Here’s provision that we think we need to keep.” Are you involved at that level or is it more a case of a fait accompli, whereby you are told, “Here’s a plan that we will develop,” and you can make representations on the basis of that? Does your involvement start at an earlier stage?

Could we hear from Amy Monks and Alex Bryson on the issue of involvement in those discussions?