Devolution and Independence: The Future of Media in Scotland

Description

'Four Tongues Worthy: Devolution and Language in the UK': No single body is responsible for language law and policy in the UK. This is the case whether we compare Westminster responsibilities with those of the devolved administrations, or look instead at differences between the different nations. Different languages (Gaelic, Welsh, Irish and Ulster-Scots) are also in different positions when it comes to demographics, transmission and use. In this paper, I consider how the distribution of competences can affect the realisation of language rights (even when language is not specifically mentioned) and highlight the continuing role of the Westminster parliament and UK authorities in relation to language, particularly regarding broadcasting. Reference is made to specific instruments (e.g. the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, the Legislative Competency Orders in respect of Welsh, and the St. Andrews Agreement), and the implications of current and proposed constitutional change for languages issues are considered. It is concluded that reform of the devolution settlements should include specific agreements regarding the linguistic responsibilities of devolved administrations and also the roles of territorial languages in the UK as a whole.

Period	7 Jan 2013
Event type	Workshop
Location	Edinburgh, United KingdomShow on map