Speech to Scottish Parliament on BBC ALBA - Jamie McGrigor

As a Highlands & Islands MSP I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak in today’s short but important debate and one which is timely.

As my friend Ted Brocklebank said earlier in the debate, the Scottish Conservatives are proud that we have been consistent supporters of BBC Alba since its inception and we have also consistently argued that it should be available on Freeview. Indeed I made this point very strongly to the then Minister Mike Russell at a Question Time in this chamber just after the BBC Trust announced its review of BBC Alba in late October last year. I would also point out that the Scottish Conservatives’ wider record on support for Gaelic has been steadfast and meaningful including of course the establishment of the Gaelic Broadcasting Fund. Conservatives in government delivered tangible benefits for the Gaelic language and Gaelic speakers and I expect the next Conservative Government to do the same.

BBC Alba’s availability on Freeview is important for many reasons. At the basic level there is a simple issue of fairness: many of my constituents in the Highlands and Islands do not want- or actually cannot afford- to pay hundreds of pounds to access the Gaelic channel through satellite TV. Given that Irish people can watch their Irish Gaelic channel free and that Wales can watch its Welsh channel free, it is logical that people in Scotland should be able to access BBC Alba too. And in turn it is clear to me that developing and maintaining a critical mass of viewers for BBC Alba requires it to be available on Freeview. And I want to dispel any concerns that we might somehow lose our access to BBC network radio stations if Alba is added to Freeview in place of some radio stations- even if this does happen radio listeners would still be able to access their stations on Freeview when BBC Alba is not on air and also on FM, AM, DAB, satellite, cable and online all of the time.

Then there is the wider argument, of which I am wholly convinced, that BBC Alba has a vitally important role in sustaining and expanding the Gaelic language. If we want- and I think all of us on all sides of the chamber are unanimous in this- to reach out to Gaelic speakers and, crucially, encourage greater awareness of the language and a greater number of people to become involved in learning it, then BBC Alba will be so much more powerful a tool if it is available on Freeview. The medium of TV is critical in reflecting and supporting Gaelic culture, identity and heritage and that medium must be widely and easily available. BBC Alba has been a real success story with some excellent and innovative programming: everyone should have the opportunity to watch this, allowing the channel to fulfil its role in assisting the sustenance and future development of the Gaelic language.

In conclusion Presiding Officer, I hope that today’s debate will help further inform the BBC Trust as it prepares to respond to the consultation it has undertaken, a consultation I am confident that demonstrated a widespread support for BBC Alba being available on Freeview. I support the amendment in my friend Ted Brocklebank’s name.