Gaelic Speaking, National Health Insurance, etc

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Gaelic Speaking Population.


Table IX. is designed to show the number of persons returned in the Schedules as able to speak Gaelic, these being divided into two classes, the one, those able to speak Gaelic only, and the other, those able to speak Gaelic and English. The total number in Scotland of the former, that is those able to speak Gaelic but not English, amounts to 10,314, and the total number of the latter, those able to speak both Gaelic and English, 151,159. Compared with the numbers at the time of the previous Census, those speaking Gaelic only are 8,086 fewer, and those speaking Gaelic as well as English 32,839 fewer. Both these numbers have shown a steady decline during the last 30 years; in 1891 those speaking Gaelic but not English numbered 43,738; in 1901 this number had fallen to 28,106; in 1911 to 18,400, and it is now, as above stated, 10,314 or less than one quarter of what it was 30 years ago. The number of persons speaking Gaelic and English in 1891 was 210,677; in 1901 it had fallen to 202,700; in 1911 to 183,998, and it is now 151,159. In 1891 6.3 per cent. of the total population of Scotland were able to talk Gaelic, the corresponding figure is now 3.3 per cent. There are three counties in Scotland containing a considerable number of persons able to speak Gaelic only, these being Ross and Cromarty, Inverness and Argyll, in the first of which those able to speak Gaelic only numbered 4,860, in the second 4,660, and in the third 599. Outside these three counties only 195 persons have been returned as speaking Gaelic but not English. In the County of Ross and Cromarty 57.5 per cent. of the population was returned as being able to speak Gaelic, in Sutherland 50.0 per cent., in Inverness 48.8 per cent., and in Argyll 33.1 per cent.

National Health Insurance.


The total number of persons in Scotland returned on the Schedules as entitled to Medical Benefit under the National Insurance (Health) Acts amounts to 1,619,202, of whom 1,123,513 were males, and 495,689 females. Of the total population 33.2 per cent. were so returned, the corresponding rate in the male population being 47.8 per cent., and in the female population 19.6 per cent. The local distribution of the insured population will be found in Table X., which shows the numbers in each insurance area, and also in Table V. where the numbers of insured persons in every county, burgh, county district and parish in Scotland may be found.

Future Publications.


As previously pointed out the figures stated in this Report are all provisional and may be amended on the complete revision of the Enumeration Books. After such revision, the final volumes of the Census Report will be issued. These, as in 1911, will be three in number. The First Volume will be issued in thirty-seven parts, one for each of the four large cities, and one for each of the thirty-three counties, and will include full local detail. The Second Volume will deal with the population of Scotland in its entirety, and with the principal divisions thereof, but from it a large amount of local detail will be omitted. The Third Volume will be devoted to the study of special subjects, including among other matter, the statistics of dependency and details regarding foreigners enumerated within Scotland.

I have the honour to be,
SIR,
  Your most obedient Servant,
  J. C. DUNLOP,
  Registrar-General.

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