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Pete Wishart: Does the Minister think that it is helpful that the funding for Gaelic broadcasting has been devolved to the Scottish Parliament but that overall control of it lies here in Westminster?
Mr. Caborn: The House took the decision that control over broadcasting would remain with this Parliament, but the expenditure was devolved to the Scottish Executive—a decision that was supported fully at the time. The situation is the same for Welsh language broadcasting. That is not the issue. We are discussing how the budgets have been used, and those were decisions for the Scottish Executive.
An officials' meeting is being planned for next month with the goal of refining the options in the Ofcom paper. The Secretary of State has offered to chair a meeting of
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all stakeholders, if necessary. We hope that that meeting will identify a clear framework for action and give firm direction for the future of Gaelic broadcasting.
Mr. MacDonald: I take on board what my right hon. Friend has said about trying to use the BBC charter review to break the impasse. At present, the BBC produces some 25 to 30 hours of original programming in Gaelic. If the BBC were really to step up its output to deliver to the Gaelic Media Service, it would require a huge increase. That would be welcome, but will my right hon. Friend clarify whether it forms part of the Government's thinking?
Mr. Caborn:
We want to have a debate with my hon. Friend and with the stakeholders with an interest in the issue. That is why my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the Department have made a commitment, and that is why my right hon. Friend made the statement
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about the BBC charter review and requested the report on the options. It is now for the officials to work through that report and, as I indicated to the House, the Secretary of State is ready to chair a meeting of all the stakeholders, if necessary, and such issues could be on the agenda. That will, we hope, determine the framework and the direction for the future of Gaelic broadcasting in the medium and long term.
The debate has been an interesting and welcome opportunity to discuss an important matter and I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Western Isles for initiating it. Although the steps we are taking are probably not wholly satisfactory to him in the financial sense, I hope that they will create a framework and give a clear direction for the future of Gaelic broadcasting. We are laying the foundations, so if and when the Secretary of State chairs the meeting, I hope that the stakeholders will respond.
Question put and agreed to.
- Adjourned accordingly at twenty-five minutes past Seven o'clock.
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