Seòmar agus comataidhean

My question is about areas of linguistic significance. You will have heard the earlier evidence, which helped us to make a little progress on what those will look like. I would like to hear what you think an area of linguistic significance would look like and how it would be different. More important, how would we make that happen? What levers would we pull and why cannot we just do that now?

Yes, but for what?

I am asking about all policies—I am supposed to ask you the questions. [Laughter.] I would like to know about the benefit of any changes that have been implemented.

Does anyone else want to come in?

In a previous evidence session not related to this bill, we heard that those in traditional Gaelic-speaking areas are sometimes not able to recruit a sufficient number of teachers in the language, because many of them are going off to the central belt to pursue a different life, albeit still within Gaelic-medium education. Is there a danger that, if we expand provision elsewhere, the language could be undermined in its heartland?

Seonaidh, do you want to give your perspective?

First, I ask Donald Macleod to respond to the question that Seonaidh Charity raised earlier about why teachers qualified to teach Gaelic are not teaching the subject in schools. Why is that happening? What research has been done on that?

We can talk about Scots, too.

Thank you. That is all that I have, convener.

Are you making progress on that front? Are you managing to keep some of them in the classroom?