Broadcasting Act 1990

183 Financing of programmes in Gaelic out of Gaelic Television Fund

(1) The Secretary of State—

(a) may, for the financial year beginning with 1st April 1991, and

(b) shall, for each subsequent financial year,

pay to the Commission such amount as he may, with the approval of the Treasury, determine to be appropriate for the purposes of this section.

(2) Any amount received by the Commission under subsection (1) shall be carried by them to the credit of a fund established by them under this section, to be known as the Gaelic Television Fund (and any such amount shall accordingly not be regarded as forming part of the revenues of the Commission).

(3) The Fund shall be under the management of a body established for the purposes of this section, which shall be called Comataidh Telebhisein Gaidhlig (the Gaelic Television Committee) and shall consist of—

(a) a chairman appointed by the Commission; and

(b) such number of other members appointed by the Commission, not being less than four nor more than eight, as they may from time to time determine.

(4) The Fund may be applied by the Committee—

(a) in the making of grants for the following purposes, namely—

(i) financing the making of television programmes in Gaelic primarily with a view to the broadcasting of such programmes for reception in Scotland;

(ii) financing the training of persons employed or to be employed in connection with the making of such programmes; and

(iii) other purposes connected with or related to the making of such programmes; and

(b) in financing the undertaking of research into the types of television programmes in Gaelic that members of the Gaelic-speaking community would like to be broadcast.

(5) When making any grant out of the Fund in pursuance of subsection (4) the Committee may impose such conditions as they think fit, including conditions requiring the grant to be repaid in specified circumstances.

(6) The Committee shall perform their functions under this section with respect to the making of grants out of the Fund in such manner as they consider will secure that a wide range of high quality television programmes in Gaelic are broadcast for reception in Scotland; but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorising programmes to be commissioned by the Committee.

(7) The Commission shall so exercise their power under subsection (3) to appoint the members of the Committee as to secure that a majority of the members are persons who appear to them to represent the Gaelic-speaking community; and Schedule 19 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the Committee.

(8) Any sums required by the Secretary of State under subsection (1) shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament.

(9) In this section, section 184 and Schedule 19—

• “the Commission” means the Independent Television Commission;

• “the Committee” means the body established under subsection (3) above;

• “Gaelic” means the Gaelic language as spoken in Scotland; and

• “for reception in Scotland” means for reception wholly or mainly in Scotland.