Gaelic TV is set for a massive windfall

GAELIC television is in line for a multi-million pound windfall after MPs demanded a massive increase in production.

The Culture Committee report said BBC Alba should have ‘parity’ with the Welsh broadcaster S4C, with ten hours of new programmes made or commissioned every week in the minority language.

That would require a huge hike in funding – BBC Alba receives £7.8million a year from the licence fee, compared to £75.3million for S4C.

However, one in five people in Wales speak Welsh, while Gaelic is spoken by less than two per cent of the Scottish population. Jackson Carlaw, Scots Tory culture spokesman, said: ‘Welsh is spoken far more commonly in Wales than Gaelic is here, and it would be a mistake to aimlessly pour millions more into a service which the vast majority of people wouldn’t understand, and would find utterly pointless.’

Eben Wilson, director of campaign group Taxpayer Scotland, added: ‘Perhaps Scottish licence payers should be given the chance to decide on an appropriate level of funding.’

The BBC said it would take the findings in the report on board and respond later in the year.