The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S7M-00188, in the name of Alyn Smith, on growing Scotland’s screen sector. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
I call Alyn Smith to open the debate.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes the work undertaken by Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland to support the film and screen industry and create opportunities for Scotland’s cultural and arts sector; recognises what it sees as the potential economic and cultural opportunities that a new studio facility and dedicated screen skills academy could bring to Scotland, including Stirling; notes that Scotland’s screen sector reportedly contributed £718 million to the Scottish economy in 2023 and supported 12,260 full-time equivalent jobs; welcomes the fact that the sector is on course to contribute £1 billion annually to the Scottish economy by the end of 2030-31, and commends Screen Scotland, local authority screen offices and all others who have contributed to the continued successful growth of the sector in Scotland.
18:03
I am delighted to lead my first members’ business debate in the chamber on a subject of great importance not just to Stirling, but to Scotland and, indeed, to all of our constituencies and constituents. It is a success story, and something for us to celebrate, because we are all winners in this.
The film industry—the screen sector—is a success for Scotland. I modestly suggest that Stirling is at the heart of it—as, indeed, I suggest Stirling is at the heart of everything else—but we will all have constituents who work in the sector, and many of our constituencies might well have been used as film locations. Therefore, I will be happy to take interventions from members across the chamber, and I am very grateful to colleagues for supporting the motion.
I am also grateful for the interest that the motion has spurred from the sector itself. I have had a lot of interest, and great support, from Screen Scotland, Stirling’s own Broadcasting Scotland, Forth Valley College, the University of Stirling, the University of the West of Scotland, the BBC and Channel 4. There are a lot of players in this market, and the scale of the industry is significant. In fact, it is much more significant than people may realise—it is not just one company or one set of individuals; these are very mobile, global people who move around a lot. In 2023, the sector brought £718 million to the Scottish economy and 12,680 full-time equivalent jobs.
Many of those jobs are temporary, and many are mobile, which is why the industry often does not get the attention that I think that it needs, because the sector is growing apace. Scotland has a natural advantage in the sector. We are English speaking; we are globally centrally located; and we have tech and a talent pool of artists that most countries would give their eye teeth for. We have any location that people want—anyone who has watched “Outlander” will know that we can even do time travel. We have a spectacular advantage in the sector.
We are also investing in the future, and I think that, as a chamber, we need to focus on that. We have students across Scotland in 35 television and film-relevant courses at 12 colleges; 1,112 college students training for a future in the industry; and 915 students at five universities who are gaining the skills to take the industry into the future for Scotland. That is exciting.
Stirling really does have an advantage in the sector. We have all the talent that we could ask for and we are building for the future. At Stirling university, we have Dario Sinforiani and a fantastic communications, media and culture division that is turning out stellar talent such as Eilidh Barbour, Mark Cousins, journalist Shelley Jofre and Mark Daly. We have talent in spades, and there is much more to come. For four years in a row, Stirling students have won Royal Television Society programme awards. There is a very successful collaboration between Stirling university and BBC Scotland, which gives students experience in the real world to prepare them for real, and very lucrative, jobs.
Broadcasting Scotland, which is based at Stirling university campus and is no stranger to MSPs in particular, is doing fantastic broadcasting work and giving students experience. Of course, jobs in the screen sector are not only behind or in front of the camera. There are the painters, joiners, designers, sparkies, people moving things around, scouts, transport and catering. The screen sector supply chain is significant for all of our constituencies and all our industries.
Forth Valley College has a fantastic track record in all those skills. There is already talk in Stirling about greater tie-ups between Stirling schools and the college and the screen sector in general. There is exciting potential there; we have a significant pool of talent in the Forth valley.
The screen sector is a global industry. There is some criticism, particularly of BBC Scotland and Channel 4, about where things are made, but I am more relaxed about that. This is a globally mobile industry, and we need to make ourselves as naturally attractive as we possibly can be. I am less concerned about the brass plaque on a production company’s headquarters, and more concerned about where control is exercised from and how much money is spent. I want to see the maximum control, and the maximum money spent, in Scotland. The BBC and Channel 4 are already significant players in Scottish screen production, and I welcome that. I think that both could be doing more, but they are both doing significant good work and, bearing in mind that public money is involved, scrutiny of that will continue.
However, I want this debate to be about the wider picture. There are big players in Scotland and in the United Kingdom, but this is a global industry, and much of it is funded by private capital. We therefore need to make ourselves as attractive as we can by investing in the talent pool; supporting, fiscally and politically, the screen sector; and ensuring that we have an environment that welcomes that investment, however temporary or long term. That is a fantastic opportunity, and we will all benefit from having world-class facilities that naturally draw production to Scotland. The spin-offs from production in Scotland are massive. Stirling has a huge amount to contribute to, and gain from, those efforts, and I am really excited for the industry’s future in Stirling and in Scotland.
18:08
I thank Alyn Smith for bringing the debate to the chamber; it is very welcome. As he outlined, the screen sector is very important for the whole of Scotland, and he rightly highlighted his own constituency’s particular assets in that respect.
The sector makes a significant contribution to the Scottish economy—it is a modern industry in a content-hungry global economy. There is huge scope for growth globally in many other sectors, but it is right to highlight some of the key assets that we have in this country, whether that be our natural physical environment or being an English-speaking nation, which allows us to export our talent around the world through digital streaming. The impact of those digital streaming platforms is significant and profound; it is driving diversity in content and disrupting the business models that were previously used by the industry.
As a result of that, there are threats as well as opportunities. Quite often, in debates in the Parliament and in other places, people talk about some of the disruptive elements of online digital streaming and social media content creation and the threats that they can bring.
However, at the same time, we have to be at the forefront of taking advantage of some of the opportunities. In doing so, it is vital that we consider the end-to-end process of creation, production and enjoyment. That all loops back into the same process, because production requires prior consumption and inspiration among young people and older people, so that they can see themselves as having a place in that industry. They have to see it to be it.
As Alyn Smith highlighted, the skills are significant, whether they are delivered through further or higher education. We should probably consider the evidence that was taken at committee in the previous session of Parliament about some of the school-level skills that might be an option for Scotland. In Northern Ireland, that is certainly the case. Production skills in Scotland are more often delivered in a partnership model between further education—our colleges—and our schools, but we know that many of those partnership arrangements with colleges are under threat or have been retracted because of the funding model. We might want to consider whether Qualifications Scotland can deliver some of those skills more directly through our schools.
In particular, I want to highlight the consumption end. I pay tribute to the Belmont cinema in Aberdeen and the campaign to restore it after its closure in late 2022. There has been a significant community campaign for that key project, which has raised £2.815 million to date. I know that members will appreciate the efforts that the volunteers have put into pulling together that money, but they still have a distance to travel to ensure that that key facility in the centre of Aberdeen is brought back to life—not just for the enjoyment of citizens and their consumption of culture, but as a key contributor to driving the tourist economy and the night-time economy. It is absolutely critical: it has been the city’s only independent cinema and it is a key cultural draw.
I would like to hear from the minister, when she is summing up, what more we can do to support not just Belmont but similar cinemas across the country.
Mr Marra and I represent the north-east of Scotland, so we also represent the Chalmers cinema in Arbroath. Does he agree that it is incumbent on all of us who want Scotland's screen sector to progress to support independent cinemas by watching films there as often as possible?
I absolutely agree with Mr Melville, and he is right to highlight the cinema in Arbroath. I also point to the independent cinema in Montrose, which is supported by the local port authority on a sponsorship model; it helps to provide the facilities through the funding that it gives to the cinema. It is a critical hub for the community and for enjoyment.
I note that Dundee Contemporary Arts—DCA—has ambitious plans for redevelopment, to build sustainability into its model as part of a longer-term redevelopment plan. Its outstanding building opened as far back as 1999, but it requires further investment to make it a more sustainable business model. I hope that we can hear a little bit from the minister about what we can do to support that consumption end of the pipeline in a very important sector for Scotland.
18:13
I thank Alyn Smith for securing this debate. The motion recognises something that is truly worth celebrating—Scotland’s screen sector is growing and it is doing so in places that we might not expect, such as Kirkcaldy and across Fife, where creative ambition, technical skill and local pride have been turned into real films, real jobs and real opportunities.
Let us take Hex Studios as an example. Hex Media was formed in 2013 and officially established a dedicated studio division in late 2017. It is a dedicated horror studio based in a church, with green-screen facilities, sound recording space, and special effects and workshop capacity. It has a clear purpose to develop and produce horror and fantasy content, nurture emerging voices and provide a home for original storytelling. Its founding team includes Lawrie Brewster and Sarah Daly, and the project was described at the time as not just a production space but a grass-roots movement with real creative intent.
Hex’s story is a reminder that success in film, as in so many other areas of life, often begins with courage. Its break-out feature, “Lord of Tears”, premiered at the Bram Stoker international film festival in 2013 and won the audience award, establishing Lawrie Brewster and Hex as a distinctive Scottish voice in modern indie horror.
The film and the studio that followed helped to put Fife on the map in that genre of filmmaking, with the work continuing to attract attention from the wider horror community. In 2025 and 2026, the studio’s work was recognised by Rondo Hatton classic horror awards, which included special recognition for its contribution to independent horror.
The Hex story is about as local as it gets. Lawrie Brewster has written about being brought up in Kirkcaldy and the influence of the town and the surrounding Fife communities on his imagination, and about how a working-class background did not prevent him from building a creative career. That is key, because the screen sector should never feel like it belongs only to the biggest cities or the biggest budgets. Fife has shown that imagination can come from anywhere and that local stories can travel to far-flung audiences.
Then there is the British Horror Studio, which is an umbrella project that began with Hex Studios and Amicus Productions. With the B-team, a community-facing initiative around independent horror and direct-to-audience filmmaking, a production house, a training ground and a community built around classic cinema venues, Hex Studios has gained recognition for reviving Amicus Productions.
Scotland’s screen economy is about not only income and production but home-grown companies and ambitions, and about creating a place where ideas can be developed. Skilled people can stay here and the value can be retained here. That is exactly why investment in studio capacity and screen skills is so important. We should never concentrate on attracting the next big production from elsewhere; we must focus on ensuring that Scotland—including places such as Kirkcaldy—is the place where the next generation of screen businesses can grow.
That brings me to Square Go Films, which is another brilliant example that comes from Fife. Square Go Films is a Kirkcaldy-based production company whose team has built a reputation through independent feature making, podcasting and a lively, community-driven presence in Scottish film culture. It is probably best known for “Dick Dynamite: 1944”. The team is well known in the Scottish indie scene.
Would you believe it, Square Go took Fife to Cannes in 2025. It attended the Cannes festival, meeting sales distribution companies and promoting the company’s work. Last month, the team was back again, wearing kilts and turning heads on the red carpet. They met distributors and held talks with US-based Epic Pictures Group about the next instalment of the “Dick Dynamite” film series. I am sure that great things lie ahead for Square Go.
The motion recognises that Scotland’s screen sector is a living network of people and places, from national institutions such as Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland, to local offices and studios in Fife and individual makers with a vision and the determination to pursue it.
Let us recognise and celebrate the film-makers and all those working behind the scenes who are helping to put Scotland firmly on the map. From the writers and directors to the crews, technicians, designers and the countless others whose work often goes unseen, it is their talent and determination that bring the stories of life and help to showcase Scotland to the world.
18:17
I thank Alyn Smith for securing this debate. I shall begin with a wee bit of a disclosure. I have been informed of a television show called “Dept Q”, which was filmed in and is set in Edinburgh, but it has nothing to do with my office. I was not consulted or invited to audition. I can only describe this as a shocking act of impersonation, and I fully intend to raise it with the appropriate authorities.
Considering the points that Q Manivannan has made, will they also share my praise for the programme and celebrate the fact that a second series of “Dept Q” is being filmed on the north-eastern side of Edinburgh, which is creating opportunities and showcasing more of Scotland to the world?
I should say that that filming is happening during recess, so I will let the programme makers know that I am available if they need me. My office will be in touch. I have also been informed that I have a passing resemblance, when the right lighting hits me, to Ben Whishaw and the main character, but I will leave that with members.
“Dept Q” features the Scottish actor Sanjeev Kohli, who played Navid in “Still Game”. Navid came from India, arrived in Craiglang and, speaking little English, learned Scots from his neighbours until he became the beating heart of his community. I watched that show right before I came to Scotland, and I think that I understood something about what this country is and what it was capable of being.
The screen, in some ways, taught me, before anything else did, that someone like me could belong here and be celebrated as almost an essential part of Scottish culture. I think, in some ways, that that is also what we are debating today. The screen sector is on track to reach £1 billion by 2030, but it is a sector that generates not just economic value but narratives. It decides whose lives are visible, whose voices carry, and whose experiences are treated as central and whose are, at times, treated as optional. I do not think that that is a soft concern alongside the economic argument—it is the economic argument. A screen sector that draws on the full range of Scottish life will make better work. That is not woke ideology; it is a question of craft.
Recently, I lodged a motion following restructuring at BBC Radio Scotland in which, reportedly, the majority of those who were stood down were women. Despite BBC successes, a pattern nonetheless emerges about who speaks with authority in our cultural institutions and who is treated at times as replaceable. I think that that question travels through broadcasting, through screen and through culture.
I am grateful for the inclusivity that BBC Scotland has shown in its programming and I acknowledge its importance in our culture. We need a strong, stable, well-funded BBC. One funded by advertising will have extremely negative consequences for commercial public sector broadcasting—that is an issue that has been raised with us.
Screen Scotland has also increasingly emphasised creative origination, which involves more than just production taking place here in Scotland and means that stories are developed, owned and led here. That distinction matters enormously because we can grow output without growing control, and growth without authorship is, at the end of the day, dependency. Research that was commissioned by Screen Scotland found that, of the top 15 producers of programmes that were counted as Scottish by volume, only five were headquartered in Scotland, with the remaining 10 based in London. I was happy to see Channel 4’s creative hub open in Glasgow in 2019 and I note that it now has 26 full-time members of staff. We need to progress with creative origination or else any production will not be Scottish or represent growth; it will just be a statistic wearing a kilt.
The workforce data tells a similar story. Around 87 per cent of screen workers have experienced a mental health problem. Factors including long hours, freelance insecurity and short-term contracts select for people with financial cushions and existing cover for their caring responsibilities, and they select against everyone else. According to recent reports, it will take until 2085 for gender equity to be achieved in the UK’s film industry, and the Equal Media & Culture Centre has reported high rates of sexual harassment and bullying in the industry.
Growth in the screen sector cannot just be measured in terms of investment and output; it has to include who gets to show up. When Screen Scotland invested in writers such as Alia Ghafar and Dawn Sievewright through its first draft programme, it was not just backing good scripts, it was backing the next generation of people who get to decide what Scotland looks like on the screen. That is important because, for many young people, including me, screen culture is often the first place where we get to see Scotland reflected back to us, and it shapes what we believe is possible and what we believe is not.
The test for this Parliament is not whether Scotland’s screen sector can grow—it will. Rather, it is whether we build a sector that redistributes cultural power, or one that quietly concentrates it in the hands of those who are not here. Therefore, we must ring fence resources for training and mentoring opportunities for women; provide resources for peer support networks; formalise rates of pay, policies on flexible work and inclusive workplace practices; and ensure that public funding bodies apply conditions to their funding and procurement practices to ensure that fair work for women and efforts to close the gender pay gap remain central focuses for our creative industries, including Scotland’s screen sector.
I hope that we reach a point where the sector contributes £1 billion to the economy, but, more than that, I hope that our future generations see Scotland build a screen sector that is capable of seeing more of Scotland and the world.
18:22
I congratulate Alyn Smith on securing the debate. I am pleased to speak in support of the motion and to recognise the work of Screen Scotland and the wider screen sector, particularly in creating opportunities for new talent. The fact that, 31 years ago, its closest predecessor, Scottish Screen, rejected a film script by an unknown 20-year-old social sciences undergraduate, which would undoubtedly have been the finest Scottish production since “Gregory’s Girl”, does not alter my view in that regard. In fact, it makes my point, because, despite my youthful arrogance in submitting it, somebody took the time to read it, review it, critique it and provide me with detailed feedback. I have never forgotten that generosity, because supporting emerging talent is exactly the kind of role that organisations such as Screen Scotland perform. Through its investment in filmmakers, independent cinemas, festivals and audience development, Screen Scotland helps to ensure that people across Scotland can access, enjoy and participate in film. As Professor Nick Higgins noted in the briefing that was circulated to members earlier, widening access is central to the growth of Scotland’s screen sector, if it is to reflect the diversity of Scottish society.
The fact is that cinema and screen remain among our most accessible and powerful art forms. They tell our stories, they reflect our communities and they project Scotland’s voice to audiences at home and abroad. In Aberdeen and the north-east, we are very fortunate to have creative businesses such as Signal, which recently won two gold awards at the Telly awards, and an organisation such as Station House Media Unit—SHMU—which plays a vital role in developing media skills, nurturing local talent and widening access to opportunities in the creative industries.
However, production companies, creative talent and audiences are all part of the same ecosystem. If Scotland’s screen industry is to contribute £1 billion annually to the economy, we must not focus solely on production. Films need places in which to be shown. That is why I was pleased to hear Michael Marra talk about why the future of the Belmont cinema matters so much. For generations, the Belmont was Aberdeen’s home of independent cinema—a place of film, education and community. Since its closure in 2022, there has been the sustained campaign to reopen it that Mr Marra referred to, not simply to restore a building but to protect a vital piece of cultural infrastructure. Reopening Aberdeen’s only independent cinema would strengthen the city centre; increase footfall for local businesses; support jobs, volunteering and skills development; and restore access to independent and international films that are rarely available elsewhere.
When, rightly, we speak about regeneration and creating vibrant city centres, cultural institutions such as the Belmont, and others that were mentioned by Lloyd Melville in his intervention and Michael Marra in his response, must be recognised as part of the solution. I therefore ask the minister to say how the Scottish Government will work with local partners to secure the remaining funding that is needed to reopen the cinema, continue to invest in cultural infrastructure and ensure that funding programmes better align with local regeneration priorities.
If we are serious about supporting Scotland’s screen sector, we must support not only the making of films but the places where audiences come together to experience them. I am pleased to support the motion. I am also pleased to remind members and any viewers that my script is still available for consideration.
18:27
Meal do naidheachd—congratulations—to my colleague Alyn Smith on securing this members’ business debate on the importance of the screen industry in Scotland.
As members will know, I believe that my constituency is Scotland’s most beautiful, because of its land and seascape and its people. Collectively, those elements make Argyll and Bute—and Scotland—a perfect location for the film industry.
I will set the scene in land and seascape. A plethora of films have used the rugged, rolling scenery of Argyll. Mull and the Corryvreckan were the location of the 1945 classic, “I Know Where I’m Going”. Walt Disney’s film “The Three Lives of Thomasina” was set in the picture-perfect town of Inveraray. The brutalist, concrete structure of the Cruachan dam, which resembles Darth Vader’s mask, played a starring role in the Disney+ Star Wars prequel series “Andor”.
However, as others have said, film is nothing without its cast, whether in front of the camera—the man of the small and silver screen, Sylvester McCoy, was born in Dunoon, and Ashley-Anne Lilley of Rothesay made her film debut in “Mamma Mia!”—or in the crew, production team and writers. Screen Argyll on Tiree provides opportunities for communities to connect through film. The Sea Change film festival is Scotland’s only annual film festival that is dedicated to empowering women in film and celebrating women behind the camera, with funding from Sgrin Alba—Screen Scotland.
Sgrin Alba also had a vision to embed film and screen education and qualifications in Scotland’s schools. I had a fabulous visit to the Rothesay joint campus with you, Presiding Officer, in the previous session of the Parliament. Having worked at BBC Scotland—very much behind the camera—and having a husband who works in the industry, I am excited that that education is now at the heart of Scotland’s curriculum. As Outlander actor Sam Heughan has said,
“Film and Screen storytelling is at the centre of developing a child’s imagination, a way for communities to represent their identity and individuals to connect with others.”
That is certainly what Q Manivannan contributed.
Sam Heughan is not from Argyll and Bute, but Grace Wallace is. This is what she told me about her learning experience at Rothesay academy:
“The Film and Screen course made me certain of my future. It gave me the opportunity to learn and experiment in all areas of the film industry: from pre to post production, both in front of and behind the camera, and working with people already in the sector. I have been given the skill set and confidence to seek further opportunities in this area, which as a young woman from a small island originally seemed impossible.”
That is definitely a five-star review.
We also need places to watch films, as Liam Kerr, Michael Marra and Lloyd Melville have all noted in the debate. Later this summer, Screen Machine 3 will return to its west coast venues, with £1.49 million raised, £500,000 of which was from the Scottish Government. Ten years ago, the wee picture house in Campbeltown was lovingly restored with thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and played a starring role in “Cinema Gadelica”—a BBC Alba production that showcased films that were shot in iconic Scottish locations. Studio Cinema Dunoon opened in 1976 and is part of West Coast Cinemas. The Isle of Bute Winter Garden cinema is a community-owned single-screen cinema. As others have said, cinemas such as those are full of laughter, crying, horror, and excitement. They are at the centre of communities and bring people together through cinema. As Liam Kerr highlighted, they need investment.
The Scottish film industry is booming. We should build on that success and be even more ambitious for the sector. We have skilled and talented people who are building the foundations of an independent Scotland’s film industry. I will finish with more of Grace Wallace’s words:
“I believe that this sector needs to grow and thrive, to allow young people, like myself, to pursue their dreams, no matter where they come from, and open doors for demonstrating their talents and expressing their creativity.”
18:31
I enjoyed the debate and all the speeches; what a contrast from the previous couple of hours. I congratulate Alyn Smith on securing the motion for his first members’ business debate. I hope that this does not destroy his credibility with his colleagues—
Such as it is. [Laughter.]
I thought that he gave a very good speech. I think that we are aligned on the idea about brass nameplates. It is important that we extract investment into Scotland. We both live in a place that is benefiting from inward investment and the exciting future that Stirling has in the sector, which is quite mind blowing.
I want to comment on Liam Kerr’s speech. The longer I have known him, the more that I have been astonished at the depth and direction of the fella’s talents. I am not entirely surprised that he wrote a screenplay at the age of 20 and sent it to wherever he said he sent it to. Nothing would surprise me about Liam Kerr at all.
I make special mention of Michael Marra and Q Manivannan’s speeches, which highlighted some of the issues. At the end of session 6, under the Deputy Presiding Officer’s convenership, the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee conducted an inquiry into the sector and I recommend its report to members. Although there are many bright spots, there are also areas that warrant the attention of parliamentarians, particularly in relation to the direction of public funding. I will mention some other aspects of that report in my brief remarks.
There is no question that Scotland’s screen sector is one of our most exciting economic opportunities. I know that we do not measure everything in economic terms, but it is worth noting that it supports thousands of jobs, generates significant economic activity and showcases Scottish talent and creativity to audiences around the world. As Alyn Smith said, it is a global sector; Michael Marra described it as a “content-hungry” industry.
Alyn Smith mentioned Stirling; I respect the fact that he is the member for Stirling, but I, too, have a great love of the city. Stirling has a proud screen heritage. The historic landscapes and locations in Stirlingshire have featured in productions such as “Outlander”, which has already been mentioned, “Game of Thrones” and—dare I say it—“Braveheart”. Local businesses such as Combat International in the Falkirk area have played their part, too, by providing the specialist expertise that those productions require.
Building on that success, as is alluded to in the motion, is the development of Stirling studios, which will have around 200,000 square feet of studio space and brings the prospect of thousands of jobs. It could be transformational, not just for Stirling but for Scotland, and it could genuinely make Stirling the Hollywood of the British isles—that is what we want.
What makes that development particularly significant is how it all came about—Government had a role to play. The studios will be built on the site of former Ministry of Defence barracks. The land was transferred by the UK Conservative Government through the city region deal, followed by £19 million of levelling-up funds—again, granted by the Conservative Government—to help prepare the site for development.
Those decisions helped to unlock a major economic opportunity for Stirling and Scotland. They also demonstrate something that I know that I have gone on about before in speeches that I have made to the Parliament, which is that, when our Governments work together—when they focus on delivery, growth and investment—great things can begin to happen.
Scotland has so many advantages. I have already mentioned our location, and our creative talent and growing international reputation for high-quality production have also been mentioned. However, if we are serious about becoming a leading destination for film and television production, it is clear that our next challenge is skills—a point that was highlighted in the committee’s report.
Throughout my business career, I have learned that investment follows talent. Studio space and infrastructure matter. However, businesses invest where they can recruit skilled people. That means strengthening links between industry and education. We can do better in that area. This is an industry that is about far more than actors and directors; it is about electricians, engineers, technicians, designers, builders, transport providers, caterers and countless small businesses. That is where the wider economic impact can be felt, which is why the sector matters, and I welcome support for it.
I understand that I am past my allocated time, so I will just say that, if we get this right—which we must do—the rewards, which include creating jobs, supporting businesses and driving economic growth in communities across Scotland, will extend far beyond the studio gates. One thing that I know that we can agree on—it is nice to have a debate in which there is a degree of consensus; there is increased consensus in session 7 of this Parliament—is that we need economic growth in Scotland. The screen sector has the power to deliver that economic growth.
18:37
I thank and congratulate Alyn Smith for securing this member’s business debate, and I also thank members for their speeches. As Stephen Kerr has just reflected, this debate has been positive, and it has given all members—including me, as the new Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic—an opportunity to celebrate the enormous success that is Scotland’s screen sector.
We have long been a great cinematic nation: from Sean Connery’s James Bond and the film, “Gregory’s Girl”, which has been mentioned, to modern classics like “Trainspotting” and so many more examples, we have played a defining role in the global story of film and television. However, this debate is not just about celebrating that legacy; it must be about acknowledging what we are achieving today and looking at how we can build on that in the future.
Today, Scotland’s screen sector is not only culturally authentic and significant; as members have reflected, it is also an economic powerhouse and a global creative force. Alyn Smith spoke of the sector’s value, and I will put some of that growth in context. In 2019—just a year after the creation of Screen Scotland—film and television contributed £567 million in gross value added to the Scottish economy. By 2023, that had risen to £718 million, and, as members have reflected, we are now on track to reach £1 billion of GVA by 2030. That growth reflects sustained investment, strong partnerships and a clear vision for the sector.
The Government’s manifesto commitment to make Screen Scotland a distinct body with increased funding will be central to realising that vision. It will allow us to accelerate growth, attract inward investment, expand domestic production and build the skills and infrastructure that all members have said are needed for long-term success.
I want to say a little about Screen Scotland, which has been at the heart of the sector’s progress since 2018. The next step will involve strengthening what works to ensure that Screen Scotland is equipped for the future. We are determined to continue that work.
Many members have reflected on the need for a skilled and diverse workforce. Working with Education Scotland and others, Screen Scotland has begun that work from the ground up by embedding screen and TV skills in the curriculum so that young people across Scotland can forge a pathway to being the television and film makers of the future. As my portfolio brings together education and culture, that is something that I will be keen to pick up and champion. I was pleased to hear Jenni Minto say that her constituent Grace has given the curriculum changes a five-star review.
Having embedded film and screen in the curriculum, we are committed to working with Screen Scotland and others on plans to embed a dedicated film and TV school in a Scottish university, building on the training programmes that have been so fundamentally linked to productions such as “Outlander”, “Dept Q” and others.
We are also continuing to support the growth of world-class studios and infrastructure so that productions of all sizes can choose to base themselves in Scotland. Members were correct to reflect on the fact that attracting production is key. Inward investment and international productions are a huge part of that. Such investment ensures that Scotland is attractive and globally competitive and is able to continue to attract productions such as the Oscar-winning “Frankenstein”, “Dept Q” and Marvel’s “Avengers”. I was pleased to hear my colleagues Ben Macpherson and Q Manivannan recognise the good news that there will be a second season of “Dept Q”.
I very much share the sentiments of the cabinet secretary and, indeed, all members who have spoken in the debate. However, I want to sound a note of caution in relation to the frequent closure of streets in Glasgow. We know that Glasgow is a very Atlantic-oriented city that often doubles up for American cities because of its grid system, but there have been issues with local businesses being closed arbitrarily for long periods without receiving adequate compensation. Perhaps a more robust system of protocols for compensation and advance notice could be considered for occasions when big production houses come to Glasgow and streets are closed down and blockaded for weeks on end, which has a significant impact on local businesses.
It is right to say that, with any kind of disruption—even when Glasgow’s streets are being showcased in international film and TV—we must be considerate of businesses. I am always interested in hearing about ways in which we can do that better.
However, there is another angle to reflect on, which is that domestic production is just as important as, if not more important than, our ability to attract international pictures. David Torrance was absolutely right to remind us of that, and Alyn Smith was correct to mention the supply chain and all the behind-the-scenes jobs. When content is developed and owned in Scotland, the benefits go further and last longer. By supporting sustainable jobs, we can strengthen independent production companies, ensuring that value remains here in Scotland and that we have the ability to tell our own stories—something that has felt elusive for too long.
We have already seen what can be achieved in productions such as “Summerwater” and “An t-Eilean”, which provided absolutely gripping Gaelic drama. Both those productions were supported by Screen Scotland’s broadcast content fund. Independent Scottish production companies continue to produce work that reaches global audiences and reflects our distinctive voice—a voice that I am so glad is being heard in English, Gaelic and Scots.
To build on that, we need to do much more on intellectual property development. That includes backing Scottish writers, producers and creators to originate ideas here, to retain rights here and to scale those ideas for international markets. We must enable people to emulate the young Liam Kerr in that regard. It is essential that we have a strong pipeline from development through to distribution if Scottish-owned content is to play a larger role in the growth of the sector.
I also want to say a word about cinema. Michael Marra, Liam Kerr, Lloyd Melville and Jenni Minto are absolutely right to mention the importance of independent cinema. As well as strongly encouraging folks to enjoy their local cinemas, I want to acknowledge this evening the campaigners who are working to save their independent cinemas. In that respect, I must mention the success of the Screen Machine campaigners, and I am really pleased that the Scottish Government was able to support that.
Time is against me, but before I wind up, I just want to make it clear that public service broadcasting is absolutely central. It is critical that Scotland’s voice is heard in it, and, as culture secretary, I will be championing that.
Our ambitions are absolutely clear: we have a sector that, as members have reflected, has gone from strength to strength and is a real growth area for our economy. However, it also has intrinsic value in providing jobs and growth in Scotland’s communities and in allowing us to tell the stories of Scotland and to put them on a global stage. I am so proud of the success that we have had to date, and I look forward to leading that further.
Thank you, cabinet secretary. That concludes the debate, and—this is my first time saying this—I close this meeting.
Meeting closed at 18:45.
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