Creative Scotland and Cultural Policy
The next item of business is a statement by Linda Fabiani on creative Scotland and cultural policy. The minister will take questions at the end of her statement, so there should be no interventions.
My first six months as minister for culture have been a whirlwind of excitement and inspiration. I was thrilled by "The Bacchae" and "Black Watch" and I was mesmerised by the wonderful music of the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra.
Scotland's international reputation knows no bounds. This year's Edinburgh festivals were some of the most successful ever. Performers and visitors came from every corner of the globe to celebrate art and creativity.
I also applaud the national collections. This summer saw the opening of the John Murray archive, the tour of the "Fonn 's Duthchas: Land and Legacy" exhibition, and the Warhol and naked portrait exhibitions, to name but a few. The National Library of Scotland's "Tea and Tigers: Stories from Scotland and South Asia" exhibition and the National Museums of Scotland's "Picasso: Fired with Passion" exhibition were also resounding successes.
Our national performing companies are achieving the highest standards in performance and outreach work. Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet are to appear in the newly refurbished Eden Court. Internationally, the National Theatre of Scotland, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra are all touring with support from the Government's international fund.
It is with those successes in mind that I offer the Government's plans for culture. My vision for culture has three themes: first, our national cultural identity; secondly, celebrating Scotland's creative sector and its practitioners; and thirdly, our cultural policy, which is for everyone in Scotland.
First, with the national conversation under way, it is apt that we talk about culture—the beating heart of our nation. Culture is a part of the way that we understand and project ourselves and Scotland's place in the world. We have a reputation for unique, accessible and high-quality culture that embraces the traditional and the contemporary. Scotland's rich heritage and vibrant cultural life play a huge part in making Scotland a great place in which to live, work and invest, and to visit.
As part of that, we are committed to developing and promoting Gaelic culture and language, which contribute to making us a unique nation. We want to expand Gaelic-medium education and we will ensure implementation of Bòrd na Gàidhlig's national plan for Gaelic. Our St Andrew's day programme celebrates our national pride and our winter festival programme showcases our excellent, world-class creativity. However, it does not stop there. We plan to support and promote Scotland-based artists by making available an annual Edinburgh festivals expo fund that will help with the costs of new productions, events and exhibitions that are premiered at the Edinburgh festivals.
The second theme is the creative sector and its practitioners. When we talk about cultural policy, it is sometimes too easy to get lost in debates about structures, funding and process. Let us not forget the core of what we are about—art for art's sake, before everything else. What is important, and what the Government will strive to do, is to acknowledge, recognise and celebrate creative Scots. Our artists include musicians such as KT Tunstall, performers, sculptors such as Sandy Stoddart, writers, and filmmakers and theatre directors such as David Mackenzie and Mark Thomson—the list goes on.
We will celebrate creative practitioners, giving shape to a community of people who best represent the elite of Scotland's creative and cultural achievements. Edwin Morgan, Scotland's national poet, has already agreed to be the founding member of that community.
Let me set out our plans to support a culturally vibrant and creatively confident Scotland. In September, the First Minister announced that we intend to introduce a bill to establish a new body called creative Scotland. I now offer the Parliament some more details. I have considered the views that were expressed in the consultation on the previous Administration's draft culture (Scotland) bill. We have decided to continue with the plan to establish creative Scotland, but we propose some changes, which I will outline. Apart from that, we will keep new legislation to a minimum.
Creative Scotland will support artists and creative practitioners. It will build on the successes of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen and will inherit their resources and staff. Those two organisations have achieved great things. People in the arts, film and the wider screen and creative industries in Scotland have benefited greatly from their efforts. I pay tribute to them and the folk who work for them.
Creative Scotland will identify, support and develop talent and excellence. It will support hubs of cultural and creative excellence that will have local reach. It will have the freedom to support any form of creative expression and it will continue to provide strong support for film and the wider screen industries, which it will do through its grants, loans and investments. It will have a licence from the Government to take risks, to stimulate controversy and to challenge accepted thinking. Much of what it supports will go on to become great achievements. Its efforts will inspire and support a culturally cosmopolitan Scotland—one that attracts and retains increasing numbers of talented people.
Creative Scotland will also promote understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the arts and culture. In particular, the Government will look to it to widen access and participation. We will ask creative Scotland to play a leading role as a catalyst for Scotland's arts and creative sector. Creative Scotland will lead good practice on stimulating and engaging audiences. It will promote cultural diversity and build further the contribution of voluntary and community arts, and also business sponsorship.
Creative Scotland will work in close concert with a range of expert and interested bodies and sectors, including Bòrd na Gàidhlig; the national collections; the national performing companies; national advisory and membership bodies such as the Scottish Library and Information Council and the Scottish Museums Council; the further and higher education sectors; and the voluntary sector, all of which perform important functions. We will look to creative Scotland to work in close partnership with them and local authorities. I will develop that point later. Creative Scotland's role—to lead our vision for creativity—will not diminish the authority or value of any other body, but we will ask all partners to co-operate in developing common approaches to common challenges.
Having listened to views that were expressed in the consultation on the ministerial power of direction, I announce today that, when we introduce the culture bill to Parliament early next year, it will be amended from the version that was published last year, to ensure that creative Scotland has complete autonomy when providing support—including financial support—and encouragement to those working in the creative sector.
In making the proposal, I acknowledge that the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen have always enjoyed operational independence. My predecessor as culture minister made that point, and it is a fair one. However, the principle of artistic independence is sufficiently important to enshrine it in legislation, therefore the bill will include a guarantee that no minister may interfere in the artistic judgment of the body in its support of the creative community.
I hope that creative Scotland and its role in supporting talent and promoting participation will be welcomed. Those are traditional and valuable aims, but creative Scotland will go further. It will have a new role to champion the potential of creativity throughout Scotland. It will break through into every part of our national life and help to realise all the benefits of the arts, culture and creativity.
Ample evidence is available today that highlights the role that cultural activity can play in restoring physical and mental health, in encouraging positive behaviour among young people, and in building community pride. We recognise the impact of culture and creativity across education and in the myriad other ways that colleagues will know of from their own experience.
I emphasise that the Government's creative Scotland bill will ask the new body to give due weight to all the benefits that arts and culture can bring. A number of consultees were concerned that the previous draft culture (Scotland) bill required creative Scotland to look particularly towards economic benefit. I agree with those anxieties, and we will change the new bill to reflect that.
I hope that the Parliament will agree that our plans for creative Scotland offer an exciting and ambitious prospect for new creative achievements. The Government is fortunate that the enterprise is being led by Dr Richard Holloway and the joint board of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. They have been thinking imaginatively about what is proposed for creative Scotland, and I expect that they will have many new ideas on how it should work, where it should be based and how it can be successful.
I now turn to the remainder of the previous draft culture (Scotland) bill. I thank those who took part in the consultation on it. The draft bill proposed to reform the governance of our national cultural collections. There is merit in keeping the legislation up to date with modern practice, but I prefer first to assess how the present structures work.
The draft bill included proposals to give local authorities a power to broadcast information. I can see an argument for adding to the powers of local authorities, but there is already scope for local television to be licensed by the Office of Communications—Ofcom—so, at the moment, we do not see that as a priority.
Likewise, I do not propose to change legislation on local museums and libraries. Although it is old, I am content that it still provides for a strong local service. I do not propose to legislate now to extend the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003 to Scotland. The Government is sympathetic to the purposes of that legislation, but I am aware that the United Kingdom Government is considering improvements, and it would be prudent to take account of that work. Should a suitable opportunity arise in our legislative programme, we will consider progressing that.
The third theme of my cultural policy concerns everyone in Scotland, because I believe that it is important that everyone should be able to feel part of Scotland's cultural life. That is why widening access to and participation in culture is a priority for the Government.
I have read and thought about people's responses to the proposals on local cultural provision in the draft culture (Scotland) bill. I have also detected a good level of consensus about the best ways to encourage more people, from all ages and backgrounds, to become involved in the arts and their living heritage. That is heartening, especially because of the amazing difference that coming into contact with culture can make to people's lives.
I decided early that to deliver my cultural policy I needed a practical approach that was based on experience and consensus and which would therefore have the best chance of success. I seek success through outcomes that make a positive and lasting difference.
One option was to use legislation, but I could not see how that would sit comfortably with what I and my colleague John Swinney seek to achieve through reform of the public sector. Our reform agenda requires a more mature relationship between central Government and local government that is based on outcome agreements and trust, to promote a strong, fair and inclusive national identity.
Our goal is to inspire greater commitment to providing high-quality cultural opportunities that are developed through community engagement. That is not best achieved by using the law to require local authorities to undertake new planning and reporting processes. The way to inspire commitment to a jointly held ambition is to work together. That is what I plan to do. I am pleased that that approach has the enthusiastic backing of Councillor Harry McGuigan and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
Our national cultural bodies are part of our drive to widen cultural access. Richard Holloway has made a helpful start by visiting local authorities to discuss aspirations for the national-local relationship. Just as national and local providers of culture should work together to enhance cultural access, I expect local authorities to collaborate with the voluntary, community and independent sector bodies in their areas to deliver new opportunities.
There must be a focus in the new partnership on developing our understanding of the barriers to accessing culture and on taking steps to overcome them. There are places where we can start. Step 1 is about community planning partnerships getting involved in culture. Planning for culture should be everyone's business, with community empowerment at its heart. We will provide community planners with new advice and encouragement to help all sectors to play their part in cultural delivery, while adding value to other service plans through cultural activity.
Step 2 is about sharing knowledge of the impacts of culture, so that other sectors and community planners get the message that culture delivers what it promises for quality of life—including creativity, well-being and fun. To do that, we shall, with our local government partners and with national bodies, further develop and publicise information about the difference that culture makes.
Step 3 is about providers striving to deliver high-quality cultural provision. Just as all aspects of the national performing companies' activities are now subject to peer review, local provision should also be subject to assessment. We are working with local authorities and cultural bodies to develop a quality assurance framework under which local authorities can assess their standards of local consultation, planning and delivery. That will embrace sector models such as the well-regarded public library quality improvement matrix.
Step 4 is about learning more successful ways to engage with potential participants and audiences from a range of backgrounds and to plan cultural delivery with their aspirations very much in mind. I am supporting 13 innovative projects throughout Scotland that are helping to find ways of overcoming some barriers to participation. They are working with communities and individuals who tend not to take part and they are forging links with community planning. For example, in Fife we are seeing genuine grass-roots engagement as citizens and professionals work together to determine the shape and scope of Fife's future cultural provision. The Dundee project has shown that social exclusion needs to be tackled proactively, so that all of society can enjoy the world of culture.
The feedback that is emerging from those projects and others shows that we need new models of service provision that are based on local accountability and dialogue. Those projects will be our culture champions. What we learn from them about people-centred approaches will help to inform future policy.
Presiding Officer, I think that you and members will agree that the Government's commitment to our nation's cultural scene is aspirational and practical in its content, and that we have an exciting and inspiring time ahead for the benefit of Scotland's people. To quote Sir Walter Scott, we have "the will to do" and "the soul to dare".
The minister will now take questions on the issues that her statement raised. I intend to allow 30 minutes for questions, after which we will move to the next item of business. It would help if members who wish to ask a question press their request-to-speak buttons now. Oh dear, members have done that.
I thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement, which should perhaps properly be referred to as a statement on the disappearing culture bill, because of her single-minded and misguided determination to hack away every section of the draft culture (Scotland) bill except one. I welcome the minister's determination to carry forward our creative Scotland proposals, including work to build the contribution of voluntary and community arts and the guarantee that there will be no political interference in creative Scotland's artistic judgment, which was, of course, never intended.
Creative Scotland was to lead on the development of national standards for the creative sector and to advise on cultural entitlements. Will national standards still be at the heart of creative Scotland's work? Why on earth was there no mention whatsoever of cultural entitlements or cultural rights in the minister's statement? The Scottish Government's document that includes the responses to the draft culture (Scotland) bill shows that there is widespread support for the guiding principles of local cultural planning and entitlements. Indeed, many of the respondents wanted the Government to go further in that regard. COSLA, which the minister mentioned, wrote:
"It is our view that local cultural entitlements will make an important contribution to increasing participation in cultural activities."
Why has the minister turned her back on that central plank of cultural policy, which was at the heart of the Cultural Commission's work and has been widely accepted throughout Scotland and internationally?
I am glad that the minister continues to support our cultural pathfinders, but how will she ensure that local authorities deliver on the cultural agenda without the legislative and other proposals that we put forward?
Last but not least, will the minister put her money where her mouth is on cultural policy, as we undoubtedly did? Significant increases in funding have been made available in the past few years. Why has she not yet spent all of the £20 million extra that went with our response to the Cultural Commission? Will she continue our many important new initiatives, such as cultural co-ordinators in schools, for which £4.65 million was earmarked for 2008-09? What support package will she provide to enable the creative industries to thrive? What on earth has happened to her manifesto commitment on a new grant to artists? Is that simply one more Scottish National Party broken promise?
I will start with what Mr Chisholm called "the disappearing culture bill". I am legislating to establish creative Scotland as a public body, and I have explained what I have taken out of the draft bill, mainly because it was daft to include it in the first place.
I trust our local authorities, our artists and creative Scotland to lead the way on culture provision in this country. Mr Chisholm talked about cultural entitlements, but what on earth are they? They were not included in the bill; they were covered in the guidance, because the previous Administration did not really know what the phrase meant.
I trust local authorities to implement their community planning measures and to consider culture for everyone. I have no doubt that they will achieve that under their outcome agreements. Legislation is already in place that says that culture must be provided in local authority areas. We should remember that community planning is not just about local authorities; it involves health boards and all public bodies that have a locus in the provision of culture. Part of the problem has been that so many people have run around doing their own thing. Whenever there was a problem, the previous Administration simply set up another body or another scheme to deal with it. We are looking at what really happens on the ground, and we are handing over responsibility to those who know what they are talking about, and to those who implement measures and will deal with the Government in a mature way.
I thank the minister for letting me have early sight of her statement, much of which I broadly welcome.
It is vital that the arts and culture in Scotland flourish and it is particularly important that they continue to do so in an international context. Can the minister tell us whether, in future years, the extra funding for the Edinburgh International Festival will be de-tartanised so that it is made available for outstanding creative work from any country, rather than just for Scotland-based artists?
I welcome the continued importance that the Government places on the national performing companies, which are to be funded directly. However, I still have some reservations about the role of ministers in creative Scotland. Will she give a cast-iron guarantee that the legislation will ensure that ministers can make judgments only on the overall financial prudence of creative Scotland? It is absolutely vital that the principle of arm's-length arts funding be maintained.
Although the minister's statement contains a number of imaginative ideas, does she agree that she could have placed more emphasis on how Scottish businesses might be encouraged to invest more in the arts so that the increasing burden of arts spending is not all at public expense?
On the national-local partnership, I welcome the proposal that local authorities and cultural bodies will develop a quality assurance framework. As a former director of the board of the Byre Theatre of St Andrews, I associate myself with her remarks on the need for grass-roots engagement whereby citizens and professionals work to shape future cultural provision. That will be particularly welcomed in Fife, as the Byre Theatre's haydays initiative, which involves over-50s in the arts, is a splendid example of the idea. Is the minister aware that KT Tunstall, whom she singled out in her statement, is not only a brilliant musician but someone who began her career as a young artist in the Byre Theatre?
Finally, given that the minister's statement makes no mention of broadcasting, will she confirm that the Government has given up on the daft idea of a "Scottish Six"?
I thank Ted Brocklebank for his broad welcome for my statement. Those who care about our country's culture and who recognise the importance of our arts and creative industry will welcome it.
I guarantee that the bill that we will introduce will contain an absolute commitment that no artistic direction can be given to creative Scotland. It is fine for Mr Chisholm to say that artistic direction was never the previous Executive's intention but, if that is the case, why did the draft bill include a provision that would allow ministerial direction over creative Scotland? Such a provision does not make sense, so we will remove it—there will be no artistic direction from ministers and creative Scotland will be at arm's length.
On the expo fund, Mr Brocklebank and I have had the argument before. Scotland-based artists will be the recipients of the fund and I have no doubt that the quality of work that will be encouraged by the fund will be of international stature. I am sorry if Mr Brocklebank thinks that that could be a problem.
On the Byre Theatre, I did not know that KT Tunstall started there. I have not managed to visit the Byre Theatre yet but I hope that, when I do, I will have a worthy escort in Mr Brocklebank.
My view is that business sponsorship for the arts has been a hidden resource in this country for too long. Our big international companies and our small and medium-sized enterprises support the arts in their own communities. Loads of that goes on but we have never properly celebrated it. Arts & Business Scotland does great work in encouraging business to invest in the arts. We also need to recognise the economic benefits that come from the arts—the traffic is not just one way—so I feel strongly that such involvement must be not only celebrated more, but encouraged more, so creative Scotland will look at that issue as well.
On broadcasting, I assure Mr Brocklebank that the Government will never give up its striving to ensure that Scotland gets a fair deal.
I draw members' attention to my voluntary entry in the register of interests as a friend of the Byre Theatre of St Andrews and of the Dundee Rep Theatre—
And of KT Tunstall?
Sadly, I do not have that privilege, but she does come from my constituency.
I apologise for missing the first few words of the minister's statement, but I was able to catch them in the advance copy that she supplied, for which I am grateful. There is much in the statement that I welcome, especially the recognition of the significant improvements in the cultural sector in Scotland that took place under the policies of the previous Liberal Democrat-Labour Administration. I also recognise and welcome the commitment to fulfil the Liberal Democrat manifesto pledge to ensure that the legislation that will set up creative Scotland will not allow ministers to intervene in decisions that relate essentially to artistic judgment. The minister will get our support on that.
It has, however, taken the minister six months to say that all she will do is proceed with the previous Government's proposal to merge the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. We could have expected the bill to be published today, but we have been told only that it will be published some time next year. Why has it taken the Government so long to make so little progress? Where in today's statement is there any detail, direction or clarity about the future of the cultural sector in Scotland, either national or local? Where is the information about the money that will be available, which is crucial?
The SNP manifesto said very little on culture, but the statement said even less about what was in that manifesto. As Malcolm Chisholm asked, where is the commitment for new grants for artists, so that they can reclaim tax on their work? Where are the proposals to expand the range of funding options that are available to artists? What is being done to investigate film tax incentives? Where is the transfer of budgets for the creative industries from Scottish Enterprise to creative Scotland? Not one of those four promises in the SNP manifesto is mentioned in the statement.
The minister ended by quoting Sir Walter Scott on
"the will to do, the soul to dare".
I dare to say to the minister that this willnae do.
How ungracious that was, after starting so well. I was going to say that Iain Smith could accompany Ted Brocklebank and me to the theatre, but now I am not so sure.
In six months, I have talked to stakeholders at great length and have taken advice from people in the know. I have made a statement to tell members what we will do in the draft bill. It took eight years and umpteen working groups, commissions, task forces, debates and discussions for the previous Administration to come up with a draft culture bill. It is laughable to suggest after six months that we have failed.
All members know that, until the spending revenue statement is made next week, I will make no announcement on finances. However, I assure Parliament that the Government will, as our manifesto made clear, publish firm and detailed plans for different aspects of culture. Mr Smith referred to significant improvements that were made under the previous Administration. If those improvements were so significant, why did it try to spoil them with its silly draft culture bill?
How does the minister intend to progress the work that was formerly undertaken by Scottish Screen, especially to get Scottish films on general release? I trust that Mr Brocklebank does not take that to mean that I am over-tartanising the silver screen. The question is brought to mind by the success of the excellent Gaelic feature film "Seachd", which raises a second issue that I would like the minister to address. How does she intend to mainstream Gaelic within the work of the new agency?
As Alasdair Allan and many others were, we were hugely disappointed that "Seachd" was not put forward for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award. Scottish Screen contributed financial input and advice to the making of the film, and we all feel strongly that it was good enough for nomination.
The Scottish Arts Council currently supports a great range of Gaelic arts organisations. I expect creative Scotland to continue and to build on those relationships across the art forms, which include the film and screen industries. I am confident that bringing together the expertise of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen will lead to a resurgence in the screen industries in Scotland. It is extremely important that Gaelic be part of that.
The broadcasting commission's remit is primarily to do with television broadcasting, but film is also an aspect of its remit, as is drama and everything else. I hope that some of the commission's findings and recommendations can be agreed by the Government; it would then be up to the likes of creative Scotland to develop and offer input. The timing of all that could work out rather well. I think that we will see resurgence in recognition of our creativity in Scotland. Part of that will be on the wider stage, which reflects the importance of film and screen.
I thank the minister for her statement, the best bits of which were familiar to me. The minister said that it took eight years for the previous Administration to get round to drafting the culture bill. I point out to her that in those eight years, we established the National Theatre of Scotland, we secured the national companies for the future, we established the year of Highland culture to great success, we put in place plans for the Burns year of homecoming, which I hope will be a great success, we introduced a national plan for Gaelic, and we established the winter festivals, to name but a few achievements. We were not standing still and the idea behind the culture bill was to build on that success and to take Scotland to the next step.
It seems that ministers have been warned not to mention money when they come to Parliament, but can the minister at least guarantee, without mentioning sums of money, that the upward trajectory that we have seen in arts funding in recent years will continue? What new initiatives will she develop as a result of any additional funding that she secures? Importantly, will she also explain how her policies will help to ensure a more level playing field in local authority support for culture and consequently in access to local provision? After all, that was part of what cultural entitlements were going to achieve.
As I have said over and over again, I will not discuss funding until members have heard Mr Swinney's budget statement next week.
I repeat again that we wish to have a mature relationship with local authorities and that they wish to have a mature relationship with their Government. I have absolutely no doubt that local authorities will step up to the mark through their community planning partnerships to do the best for the people whom they represent. It is sad that others in the chamber do not have the same trust.
I am pleased to note that the minister intends to merge two quangos into one. Every bonfire needs a little kindling.
I ask the minister to reflect on the success of the National Theatre of Scotland in taking one of its productions abroad to a reaction of which all of us in the chamber can be proud. What does the minister intend to do to encourage creative Scotland and other agencies to work towards ensuring that the aspirations and ambition that have been shown by the National Theatre of Scotland, with its tour of "Black Watch", are mirrored in the aspirations and ambitions of other artistic endeavours that are funded or part-funded by the Scottish Government?
As I said earlier, our national performing companies are achieving the highest standards, both at home and internationally. We should be extremely proud of them.
Creative Scotland will work in partnership with a range of expert and interested bodies at national and local levels to develop, support and promote excellence in arts and culture. One such way will be through the Government's international fund and another will be through our expo fund, of which I will bring details to Parliament fairly soon.
I welcome the Government's decision to continue with the previous Executive's work to widen access and participation in cultural activities. However, will the minister explain how that will be possible without cultural entitlements? While she does so, will she acknowledge that Labour members trust absolutely our colleagues in local government? The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities was an enthusiastic supporter of the concept of cultural entitlements in discussions with the previous Executive about the proposed culture bill.
Secondly, will the minister outline the Government's policy on broadcasting? In particular, will she explain how the Government will implement the recommendations of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission, given that the proposed culture bill will have completed its parliamentary progress before the commission has reached any firm conclusions or recommendations?
In relation to cultural entitlements, it was clear from the responses to the consultation on the previous Administration's draft bill that people thought that the inclusive solutions that were proposed for widening cultural participation at local level were sound and could succeed. However, it was also noticeable that consultees were unclear about the use of the term "entitlements". I, too, am unclear about what the previous Administration meant by it. Rather than deal with it in the draft bill, it dealt with it in the guidance. What was the concept about? Was it about a set of enforceable rights or did it simply express an expectation that local authorities would make certain things available? I do not know what the previous Administration meant.
I intend to promote the people-centred approach to developing much more inclusive cultural opportunities. That approach has been endorsed by the findings that are beginning to emerge from the 13 access projects that local authorities are delivering.
I want to clear up the confusion surrounding the use of the term "entitlements". They are opportunities to take part in cultural activities that are informed by the communities to which they will be provided. That is what is important. We cannot go imposing culture on people all over the country; people must come and say what they want.
The First Minister set up the Scottish Broadcasting Commission to carry out, on behalf of the Government and of ministers, an investigation into broadcasting and to come up with recommendations, which will be considered by ministers. I do not understand the confusion about the creation of creative Scotland and when it will be up and running. I imagine that the interim board of creative Scotland will give evidence to the commission. The commission will talk to the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. If the Government thinks that there are recommendations that should be taken forward, it may well be that creative Scotland will have a locus in that regard. That is perfectly straightforward and logical, so I do not see what the issue is.
Despite the differences between the Scottish National Party's manifesto commitments on culture and heritage and the minister's statement, the statement contains some welcome measures.
In relation to the whole package of cultural activity, is it the Government's intention to make St Andrew's day a full public holiday? Although I recognise that the link between heritage and culture is almost tangential, it is sufficiently strong to allow me to ask what role Historic Scotland will play in the development of culture and whether the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland still has a future as an independent body.
We believe that we should celebrate St Andrew's day and that it should be a public holiday, but it is up to employers and others to encourage staff to celebrate it. We will fight for that all the way because it is what we want people to do.
St Andrew's day this year will start off our winter festival, which will run throughout our wonderful hogmanay celebrations and the new year celebrations that are held in January in the Highlands and in Shetland, and which will end with Burns night. Our winter festival has already been greeted with great enthusiasm. People have e-mailed me to ask whether activities that they already do can be part of it. For the benefit of Scotland, everyone should get behind the winter festival idea and St Andrews day. Let us kick off a really good series of events over the winter.
Heritage and culture are part of the same thing—they are part of our national identity. We should all work together to ensure that the national companies, the national collections and the heritage and environment organisations work together to widen access to that culture. We have something fantastic in this country and we must bring it together and celebrate it.
On RCAHMS, as I have said in answers to written questions, we are looking at the whole landscape of public bodies. Michael Matheson referred to that in his question. We are considering what solution is best for Scotland. I will look at RCAHMS and Historic Scotland in that context and in relation to other such bodies.
Returning to theme 1, which is our national cultural identity, the Scottish Government made a welcome funding pledge earlier this year to ensure that the Edinburgh festivals become a showcase for the arts in Scotland as well as being a gathering of the world's best. Will the £2 million that was talked of as an initial commitment be administered by creative Scotland? Is the minister of the opinion that that support for our artists who are not in the national companies will support talented people in Scotland, attract such people to Scotland and retain them, and induce the directors of the Edinburgh festivals to showcase Scottish work?
Of course, the Edinburgh festivals are crucial to attracting visitors and showcasing Scottish talent on the international stage. On encouraging the Edinburgh International Festival to do more showcasing of Scottish talent, that is a decision for the festival organisation. However, I feel strongly that if there is a Government commitment behind our artists, if we give them their head and let them create and if we say that we will help them because we want them to be able to celebrate their art and show it around the world, we will automatically retain our own artists and attract talented people to Scotland and retain them. By doing that, our international showcases will not just think that they should showcase Scottish art but will actually want to do that. It would become a given that our artists would be showcased as being among the best in the world.
The minister will recognise the importance of Scottish contemporary music not only to Scotland's culture, but to Scotland's economy, so I was disappointed that she did not mention it in her opening statement.
Many Scots are passionate about music, and if it is to grow in strength, it needs the support of experts in business development. KT Tunstall is an example of a fantastic Scottish artist, but she is also a significant business. Can the minister provide some clarity on the shape of creative Scotland in relation to the music industry? First, will it sit in creative Scotland? Secondly, and crucially, are there plans to incorporate business development within creative Scotland? Yes or no? If the answer is yes, can the minister expand on the extent of business support for the creative industries and its relationship with Scottish Enterprise?
Obviously, contemporary music is a huge creative industry that brings immense economic and creative benefits to Scotland. Creative Scotland will have a role with the creative industries—we have always made that plain. I am discussing with Scottish Enterprise and creative Scotland's interim board and officers how best to meet the needs of the creative industries. I am also meeting with umbrella groups from different sectors of the creative industries to discuss that issue. It is not for me to impose how that work will be done; it is for me to learn from people in the field and for those who have experience to say how they think their needs can best be served. We will look at that. However, we have always said that creative Scotland will have a remit with the creative industries.