Culture in Parliament - March 2023

Culture Counts monitors the Scottish and UK Parliament for discussions and questions about the Culture Sector. We’ve listed recent committee business and chamber questions in each house below.

The link attached to each item will take you to the Official Report, where you can read the Government response and further discussion around each item.


Scottish Parliament

Portfolio Question Time, Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, 1 March 2023

Heritage Sites (Inspection)

Question by Claire Baker, Mid Scotland and Fife

To ask the Scottish Government when the nationwide programme of inspection to assess the condition of, and the impact of climate change on, some of Scotland’s most significant heritage sites, being undertaken by Historic Environment Scotland, is expected to be completed. (S6O-01932)

Sistema Scotland

Question by Michael Marra, North East Scotland

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the work of Sistema Scotland. (S6O-01935)

Retail and Town Centres Debate, motion S6M-07942, 28 February

Contribution by Claire Baker MSP, Mid Scotland and Fife

(excerpt)

“Throughout the committee’s inquiry, we heard about the wide range of issues related to our towns and what makes them attractive places to live in and visit. Those issues included transport, amenities, the role and contribution of culture, planning and the availability of appropriate and affordable housing to enable town centre living”

Budget (Scotland) (No 2) Bill: Stage 3, 21 February

Contribution by John Swinney MSP, Perthshire North

(Excerpt)

The third and final announcement that I want to make today is that, in the earlier Finance and Public Administration Committee debate on the budget, I acknowledged the call from Clare Adamson, the convener of Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, to continue to sustain our investment in culture and the arts. The importance of that funding to the wellbeing of our society has always been passionately championed in the Parliament by Fiona Hyslop, who was a long-serving cabinet secretary for culture in the Scottish Government.

We had asked Creative Scotland to sustain investment next year by utilising £6.6 million from its accumulated national lottery funding reserves, in place of another year of additional grant funding, to compensate for generally lower lottery income. I am now in a position not to require that. I will provide Creative Scotland with an uplift of £6.6 million for 2023-24 to ensure that its reserve funding can supplement, rather than replace, grant funding. That means that there will be a substantial increase in the Scottish Government’s funding for culture and major events in the next financial year at a time when our country requires the inspiration that the culture and arts sector can provide for us all.

Westminster

Culture Media and Sport Questions, 9 March

Cultural and Charitable Organisations: Cost of Living

Question by Emma Lewell-Buck MP, South Shields

What steps she is taking to support (a) cultural and (b) charitable organisations during the cost of living crisis. (903943)

Musicians: Cost of Living

Question by Pete Wishart MP (Perth and North Perthshire)

What discussions she has had with music industry representatives on the impact of increases in the cost of living on musicians. (903945)

Film and Television Production Industry

Question by Michael Fabricant, Lichfield

What steps she is taking to help expand the film and television production industry; and if she will make a statement. (903947)

Joseph Peach