Scottish Languages Bill - Gaelic and Scots commitments: consultation analysis
External analysis of the responses submitted to the Scottish Government's consultation on Gaelic, Scots and a Scottish Languages Bill.
Feedback on the Consultation Process
3.1 Number of Responses
Responses to feedback on the consultation process covered answers to the following questions. The table depicts the number of responses received for each question.
| Questions | Number of responses |
|---|---|
| How satisfied were you with this consultation? | 671 |
| How would you rate your satisfaction with using this platform (Citizen Space) to respond to this consultation? | 654 |
3.2 Insights
3.2.1 Satisfaction with the consultation
| Responses | Total | Per cent |
|---|---|---|
| Very dissatisfied | 86 | 11.47% |
| Slightly dissatisfied | 53 | 7.07% |
| Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 179 | 23.87% |
| Slightly satisfied | 140 | 18.67% |
| Very satisfied | 213 | 28.40% |
| Not Answered | 79 | 10.53% |
Some insights gathered on the feedback regarding the consultation process include:
a) Incorporating information related to the consultation questions was helpful in the context.
b) For some respondents, the questions were broad and open-minded. For others, the questions seemed vague and ‘not worded in a particularly inspiring manner’.
c) Questions in the consultation are leading. They assume that the Gaelic language should be promoted rather than addressing the issue from a neutral stance.
d) There was a lack of understanding of the importance of the Scots language in the consultation.
e) For some respondents, the questions presumed the value of the initiatives and made the questions leading. The consultation only sought affirmation of the initiatives.
f) A few respondents expressed their satisfaction with the consultation events.
g) There should be separate consultations in other languages. One respondent shared, ‘I can reply in Gaelic, but the questions are in English. I would reply in Gaelic if the questions were in Gaelic. If you were to ask about Gàidhealtachd areas in Gaelic, you would get a different answer because Gàidhealtachd has a deeper cultural resonance when you understand the language. It would not be linked in one’s mind to officialdom as the idea of this Gàidhealtachd area is in English’.
3.2.2 Satisfaction with the Citizen Space platform
| Responses | Total | Per cent |
|---|---|---|
| Very dissatisfied | 52 | 6.93% |
| Slightly dissatisfied | 23 | 3.07% |
| Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 175 | 23.33% |
| Slightly satisfied | 147 | 19.60% |
| Very satisfied | 257 | 34.27% |
| Not answered | 96 | 12.80% |
Some insights gathered on the feedback regarding the use of the Citizen Space platform for the consultation process include:
a) For most of respondents, the platform was straightforward to navigate.
b) For some respondents, the platform seems designed to give biased answers.
c) For a few respondents, the navigation arrows must be placed at the top of the page.
Contact
Email: niall.bartlett@gov.scot
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