Taking Scotland Forward: Culture and External Affairs
The next item of business is a debate on taking Scotland forward: culture and external affairs.
14:55
I am delighted to lead the debate in my new position as Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs. I will set out my thoughts on my responsibilities to Scotland for who we are in terms of promoting Scotland’s cultural identity or identities, where we are in promoting our cultural and economic interests, and where we want to be as a nation. The Government has made significant progress over the past four years, and I will set that out. I also intend to set out a clear direction of travel for the next five years, spelling out what we plan to do.
This week alone, we had a trio of exciting events that showcase Scotland’s culture, creativity and international impact. This morning, I opened the refurbished marble Scotsman steps artwork in Edinburgh, designed by Turner prize-winning artist Martin Creed and supported by the Government through the Edinburgh festivals expo fund.
On Tuesday evening, the First Minister and I hosted a reception at Edinburgh castle for guests from the film and screen industries who are in Edinburgh for the 65th edition of our world-renowned international film festival. We will explore options for holding an investors night in Scotland to bring together the business community and film makers to encourage investment and create opportunities for the film industry to flourish.
This week, the National Theatre of Scotland showcased a 24-hour rolling programme of more than 200 five-minute plays written by people in Scotland and across the globe and broadcast over the internet to mark the company’s fifth anniversary. That emphasises the dynamic and creative nature of one of our national performing companies, as it uses digital media creatively to engage throughout Scotland and the wider world, promoting our creativity to a potentially huge audience.
The Government’s achievements over the past four years have been substantial. We established Creative Scotland to deliver benefits for the arts, screen and creative industries. We established the Edinburgh festivals expo fund, with £8 million of funding over four years, to support Scottish work at the world’s biggest arts event. Government support for the festivals is crucial. They have grown to generate more than £250 million-worth of tourism for the Scottish economy.
We also supported the increasing domestic and international success of the national performing companies with a new, closer relationship. We have made significant capital investment in museums and galleries, including £15.2 million for the redevelopment of the royal museum of Scotland, which reopens in July; £7.1 million for the redevelopment of the Scottish national portrait gallery, which reopens in November; £10 million for Anthony d’Offay’s artist rooms; and, of course, £8.6 million for the development of the Robert Burns birthplace museum, which was officially opened in January.
We doubled our international development budget to £9 million. We established a track record of attending Council of the European Union meetings and we developed a more strategic, all-Scotland approach towards the promotion of Scotland overseas.
We delivered the 2011 census, and I pay tribute to all workers who were involved in that. It was a great success, with the response rate at least equalling the level that was achieved 10 years ago.
We delivered the restoration of Stirling castle’s James V palace—a three-year, £12 million project that included reuniting the Stirling heads for the first time since 1777 in their stunning new gallery, brought to life by modern, Scottish digital technology.
As those achievements demonstrate, this is a culturally ambitious and outward-facing Government. The election result demonstrated the Scottish people’s faith in our approach, and the fact that I am now Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs demonstrates the importance of culture and external affairs to the Government.
In bringing the two portfolios together four years ago, the Government recognised the potential to leverage our rich cultural assets to enhance the promotion of Scotland overseas. My ambition is to build on that synergy and bring together culture, trade and tourism to deliver ever greater benefits for Scotland’s economy. My role is to support the fantastic range of cultural activity that happens throughout Scotland; to champion Scotland’s cutting-edge technology and architectural design; to get the best from Scotland’s major events, portraying Scotland as the perfect stage; and to act as a voice of Scotland beyond these shores, representing the Government’s interests around the world and promoting Scotland as a modern, dynamic nation.
Being cabinet secretary is not just about making decisions on investment, although significant capital projects such as the Victoria and Albert museum in Dundee make a major contribution to our ambitions. It is about championing, supporting and providing leadership, identifying synergies and encouraging everyone to work together for the benefit of Scotland.
We are a creative nation with a rich heritage. We have an unrivalled historical legacy in creativity, and we have used our nation’s capacity for innovation to share worldwide some of the key inventions that have proved to be indispensable in the modern era.
Scotland has a fantastic and vibrant contemporary culture that is epitomised by the Edinburgh festivals as the world’s largest arts event, and by our national performing companies as they tour international hits such as “Black Watch”—which was in New York for Scotland week—around the globe. We have a remarkable and long-standing international reputation for fantastic built and natural heritage, as well as original engineering and building design, with examples of world-renowned iconic structures such as the Forth rail bridge and Glasgow school of art.
However, our culture is not just our music, our theatres, our dance and our art. It is also our science, our design, our architecture, our cutting-edge technologies and our languages. All those shape and bring joy to the lives of the people of Scotland and the wider world.
We have built significantly on our historical reputation. We continue to deliver cutting-edge innovations into the global order—for example, initiatives such as the Scottish Ten project, which was developed by Scots to record and document the built heritage and is now used the world over to record iconic landmarks such as Mount Rushmore. I have been privileged to witness other exciting developments such as the application that uses musical therapy to aid recognition for people with Alzheimer’s, and the cutting-edge, eye-catching and award-winning fashion designs that are coming out of Edinburgh College of Art.
Our creative industries spur on our technological innovation and make us an attractive place to be. Dundee is gaining a deserved reputation as a hub for creative industries on a global scale. The creative industries account for 4 per cent of Scotland’s gross domestic product and 3 per cent of its employment, which is 63,000 jobs in total. Over the past decade, the creative industries have grown more quickly than the economy as a whole and they have a key role to play in supporting Scotland’s economic recovery.
All that ensures that Scotland is a progressive nation with a global reach. We are a dynamic, modern nation, contributing to the world in which we live. We are keenly aware of our place as a long-standing nation in the wider world and of our responsibility as a citizen in the community of nations. Promoting a nation of 5 million people in countries such as the USA, Canada, India and China is no mean feat but, of course, Scotland is no ordinary country.
We will strengthen and deepen existing relationships, using the many tools at our disposal to ensure that our culture and creativity remain our unique selling point in the world. We will engage with our priority countries to deliver economic benefits and encourage broader and deeper engagement with those who wish to live, work and study in, travel to and do business with Scotland.
Our wealth of experience will continue to benefit the international community, and in particular key partners throughout the developing world with whom we are building enduring partnerships. Scotland is aware of its responsibilities to the wider world and, in particular, of our special relationship with Malawi.
We will continue to contribute towards international development through our grant funding programmes, protecting spending that helps to make a difference to some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. We will build on that support, working with our partners in the developing world to address challenges in areas such as climate change in which Scotland can bring expertise to bear.
Presenting an enlightened, outward focus, leveraging our historic and cultural assets, and promoting innovation and building enduring relationships will be the basis on which Scotland positions itself in the world as a modern dynamic nation.
Earlier, I set out what the Government has achieved. I now turn to our ambitions for the next five years, as set out in our manifesto before the election. We will seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is presented by the second homecoming year in 2014, when both the Ryder cup and the Commonwealth games will come to Scotland, to bolster Scotland’s international image.
With a second year of homecoming, will there also be a second gathering? If there is, will provisions be put in place to ensure that small businesses do not lose money over it?
I think that that is an endorsement of promoting a second year of homecoming as the correct thing to do. I recognise the member’s concerns about the gathering. The people who are organising the events for the year of homecoming can certainly determine whether such an event is appropriate.
However, do not underestimate the opportunities that we have to reach out and promote Scotland. Glasgow in particular has a fantastic opportunity to showcase what it has to offer to the wider world. We need to bolster Scotland’s international image as the place to be for international events.
We will also deliver a rich legacy that boosts tourism, cultural participation, the economy and public health and wellbeing, while showcasing Scotland to the world.
On the point about events—particularly in relation to Glasgow—would the cabinet secretary consider the idea put forward by Richard Demarco a few years ago of holding a biennale, similar to that in Venice, of the visual arts in Glasgow?
There are many fantastic ideas about how we promote culture and creativity in relation to the Commonwealth games. I am certainly attracted by that idea. This week, an exhibition by Richard Demarco will be held in the Scottish Government’s office in Brussels, which will showcase his work and his important connection to promoting Scotland and its relationship with wider Europe.
We will introduce a young Scots fund, which will be focused on sport, enterprise and creativity and will aim to provide enriching opportunities for our young people. We will also build on the highly successful Edinburgh festivals expo fund to ensure that more artists can experience the opportunities that it has provided.
We will deliver our ambitious strategy for the creative industries. We will support and celebrate our culture and creativity and build on the powerful role that it plays across all the Government’s ambitions by establishing a national book week, a new music initiative to help to support the contemporary development of flourishing new musical artists in this country and more apprenticeships for traditional arts.
We will contribute to the legacy from the Commonwealth games in 2014 by promoting Scotland and by getting Scotland dancing as part of the drive to improve the nation’s health and wellbeing.
We will continue to utilise Scotland’s rich heritage, tremendous cultural assets and worldwide reputation to increase exports, tourism and economic growth through our strategic approach to the promotion of Scotland and our engagement with the international community.
We will build on our innovative approach to the promotion of Scotland following the establishment earlier this year of a Scotland office in Canada, which brings together the resources of the Scottish Government, Scottish Development International and our tourism agency as one.
We will develop proposals to sharpen the focus in our international development work on the areas of policy expertise to which Scotland’s academic and scientific institutions, businesses and civic partners can best contribute, such as water, renewable energy and climate change.
We will develop a national strategy for museums and galleries, which will focus on how the sector can best use its tremendous skills and resources to ensure a sustainable future for the sector. We will capitalise on the success of the globalscot network by mobilising key segments of the diaspora to act as powerful advocates for Scotland.
We will encourage the public to engage in the process of architectural design and increase understanding of the planning system.
We will deliver improved visitor facilities for the battle of Bannockburn site in time to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the battle in 2014.
I believe that all that demonstrates an ambition for Scotland that will deliver success over the next five years. I look forward to hearing members’ ideas and contributions on their priorities. I encourage them all to support Scotland as a creative nation with a rich heritage, which is contributing to the world as a modern dynamic country.
15:08
A few days ago, an article caught my eye, not least because it combined two subjects that are very dear to me: art and the Maryhill area of Glasgow where I was born. The artist who was discussed in the article, Joe O’Brien, was born and brought up in Maryhill and his art is very much influenced by his experience of growing up there in the 1960s. Joe O’Brien is, as the article makes clear, one in a long line of artists—such as Robert Carlyle the actor, Donovan the singer and Susan Philipsz the Turner prize-winning artist, to name but a few—who come from that part of my constituency. The article suggested that perhaps that is something to do with the water in Maryhill.
I, too, was born in Maryhill. Although there have been some good amateur artists and musicians in my family, I am afraid that I am not one of them. Rather than there being something in the water in Maryhill, I suggest that the blossoming of talent in the area may have something to do with our proximity to the Kelvingrove art gallery, because Kelvingrove is a place that almost every Glaswegian will have visited and in which they will have found something to admire, to inspire them and to remember.
I hope that future generations will be equally inspired not just by Kelvingrove but by the new developments along the Forth and Clyde canal, which now play host to the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Opera and the dance studios of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama—or the royal conservatoire of Scotland, as all of us must soon learn to call it. The BBC comedy unit and the studio of the sculptor Andy Scott are also located in my constituency. As a city, Glasgow is immensely proud of its galleries and museums. The opening of the new Riverside museum to the public this week demonstrates a continuation of that tradition of investment in the arts.
However, the provision of cultural facilities is not a statutory requirement for local authorities more generally, nor is it specified in outcome agreements. As council budgets reduce and savings are made, we must help to make the case against cuts to that part of their budgets, because there is a lot at stake. Many of our local authorities also contribute to the cost of our national companies. As a result, those companies can tour the country, mount new works and engage with schools, thereby extending access to the best that Scotland produces. However, if we do not also invest in the grass roots—for example, in music tuition for school pupils—we will produce neither the performers and artists nor the audiences of tomorrow. The minister may be reluctant to argue in Cabinet for additional money for local authorities to allow them to continue to make provision for culture in their areas, but I wonder whether she can at least make the commitment today in the chamber that support for the arts will be included in the outcome agreements that are negotiated with them.
This year the budget for our national performing companies and museums is scheduled to be cut by 4 per cent. There is also a 4 per cent cut to the budget in Wales. The difference is that the cuts in Wales will be spread over three years, whereas budgets in Scotland will take the full hit in just one. If we consider the complexity of running a museum or gallery, we must understand the pressure that a one-year budget imposes on those who run such institutions.
Does the member recognise that there were no cuts in 2010-11, because we did not pass on the Westminster cuts for that year? That protected our national companies in 2010-11.
It may have protected them in 2010-11, but it does not do so in 2011-12. That is the point that I am making. We are talking about the here and now.
Could the minister tell us today whether the practice of awarding moneys only for a 12-month period will persist throughout this session or whether a more strategic and sensible approach will be reinstated? I was surprised that, in her opening remarks, she did not commit the Government to maintaining free access to our national collections. I am sure that she failed to do so only because of time, as I know that the commitment was contained in the SNP manifesto. However, I would be grateful if she would confirm the principle, which Labour members guard jealously.
Labour’s position is that the funding of Scotland’s museums and galleries is an investment. The Government’s studies tell us that 25 million people visit our museums and galleries every year and contribute £800 million to our economy, and that our cultural and creative industries make a contribution of £5.4 billion per annum. The United Kingdom economy is predicted to grow by 0.39 per cent per annum between 2007 and 2014, but the rate of growth in the cultural and creative sector is predicted to be 1.05 per cent per annum—three times higher. That is borne out by the experience of Glasgow. Since it had the accolade of city of culture in 1990, the number of cultural jobs in the city has increased by 43 per cent. On average, 82 per cent more performances are being staged in the city. If we are ambitious for our country, it is surely sensible for us to invest in this area.
Worryingly, the cut to the culture and Gaelic budget totals 9.9 per cent. The budget for Creative Scotland has been frozen, meaning that there will be little or no cash for new organisations or funding streams. Creative Scotland is tasked with carrying out the functions of both the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen, but it must also take on additional responsibilities. To ask a new organisation to take on such an onerous workload with a budget that is, in effect, reduced is potentially problematic.
It is not just in economic terms that culture, the creative industries and the arts are important. Culture shapes our identity, provides us with recreation, educates us and gives us joy.
I believe that John Ruskin was correct when he said:
“Great nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts—the book of their deeds, the book of their words and the book of their art ... of the three the only trustworthy one is the last.”
This country has long-standing links with many developing countries. From a colonial past, we have managed to build friendships that endure. It is right that we, as a relatively wealthy nation, do what we can to assist those countries and help them to develop their potential. When that work began, there were those who said that we were wrong to do it—that we should concentrate on problems at home and not concern ourselves with such issues. I defy anyone to visit Bottom hospital in Malawi and tell us that we were wrong. I defy anyone to say that Scotland’s relationship—and Shetland’s relationship in particular—with Minga school has not improved lives. I absolutely disagree with anyone who argues that we should have stood back when people in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Haiti were devastated by natural disasters. Scotland has made a difference, and I hope that we continue to do so for years to come.
I am not for a moment saying that everything is perfect, but I think that the project-based approach is right, as is funding agencies and charities rather than Governments. We can be proud of the consensual approach that we have taken on these issues over the years, whether it has been through the cross-party groups, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association or the wider work of the Parliament, in conjunction with the Government.
It is right that the Parliament monitors and scrutinises the approach of the Government as it awards funding and sets priorities, although that is done in a spirit of genuine concern so as to achieve the maximum benefit for the countries with which we work. Those who have been involved in that work have gained, too, in new experiences and in opportunities to test their professional skills in a very different environment from the one that they are used to. It is a true spirit of partnership.
In the past week, Parliament has had the opportunity to debate two important areas from the cabinet secretary’s portfolio. I am beginning to notice the familiar faces: those of us with a genuine and probably passionate interest in culture, who will be turning out for debates such as this as we go forward. This is an area where we have a huge amount to gain as a nation. If we invest now, we can reap the benefits in future.
I was delighted to hear the minister—the cabinet secretary, I am sorry—talking about the links with tourism and events, which I was passionate about in a previous existence. I suggest that the inclusion of tourism in the portfolio might not be a bad thing.
I call Ruth Davidson, who has a flexible six minutes.
15:18
Okay—I will use six minutes as a flexible friend. Thank you, Presiding Officer.
I am delighted to open the debate for the Conservatives today. I have been a bit of a wild rover of Scotland in my lifetime so far—I have lived in many different parts of the country. I was born and lived my formative years in the Borders—a good Selkirk girl. As it is not long past the first Friday after the second Monday in June, it is worth highlighting the common riding and the festivals in the Scottish Borders, which are a huge part of life there.
I then moved to the east neuk, where I went to school. With reference to the industrial heritage in that part of the world, we have the Scottish fisheries museum, which speaks to us all about where we come from and who we have been.
I was educated at university in Edinburgh, the cradle of the enlightenment—not that that helped get me a better degree, it must be said. Then I found my place in the world of work in Glasgow, which I am delighted to represent today as an MSP. Listening to Ms Ferguson talking about what we have in Glasgow, I reflect that it is true what a cultural jewel that city is, not just for the people who live within its confines but for people throughout Scotland and beyond.
When it comes to fixed cultural and artistic assets, the Kelvingrove art gallery is a fantastic resource that is visited by tens, indeed hundreds, of thousands of people every year. The new Riverside museum on the banks of the Clyde will bring not just its exhibits but the architecture and the building itself to a new audience, showing what we can do as a nation when we dream big.
We also have the St Mungo museum of religious art and life. Given the debate that we had in the chamber this morning, I hope that that museum will continue to play its part in the educational process in the west of Scotland and Scotland in general in relation to what we can do to move forward in areas that can be particularly difficult.
We also have a number of excellent individual venues, such as the Tramway, the Barrowlands and the Citizens theatre, to name but a few, and the moveable feasts, such as the southside festival, the mela and Eid. In economic terms, all those institutions and events bring in huge amounts to Glasgow and make it a more prosperous city. However, they do much more than that: they bring a great deal to the cultural life of Scotland.
I was pleased that the cabinet secretary mentioned what we do in Scotland to help others, such as the links that we have with Malawi. As I represent the region of Glasgow, which contains Blantyre, I think that it is right that we celebrate those links and do more. However, I will leave the issue of external affairs to my colleague, Jamie McGrigor. Despite the fact that he has the most wonderful singing voice of any member in this chamber—believe me, you have not enjoyed “Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whisky” until you have been driven one-handed alongside it in a souped-up Subaru by the gentleman himself—and is possibly more qualified than I am to talk about cultural issues, he will talk about external affairs in his speech.
I recognise the part that culture plays in our national life. I echo the cabinet secretary’s words about how rich we are in terms of heritage, history and legacy, particularly with regard to the inventions that she talked about, such as the goggle box, which brings all of that to a wider world and showcases it. Although it is important to embrace the cultural legacy of the past, we must refuse to be defined by it: we are the nation of Burns, Barrie, Stevenson and Scott, but we are also—for better or for worse—the nation of KT Tunstall, Christopher Brookmyre and “Grand Theft Auto”. There is so much of our heritage to be proud of, but that should not blind us to the good work that is going on now, from the physical theatre of “Black Watch”, which the cabinet secretary mentioned, and festivals such as Rock Ness and T in the Park, to the hardy perennials of the Edinburgh festivals and the Mod, which I do not think has been touched on yet.
It is said that we Scots are an oral people. That is borne out by our tradition of storytelling and folk tales, and we have a strong traditional folk sector.
I want to applaud all that is going on to make Scotland such a wonderful, vibrant, energetic, exciting and stimulating place in which to live, which grows artists and talented people and attracts them from abroad. However, there is much that we legislators can do to help the arts to progress and to open up access to artistic and cultural life. One of ways in which we can do that is through infrastructure. I was pleased to see that the SNP manifesto promised to encourage the expansion of community radio, and I look forward to seeing the proposals for how that expansion will take place.
Only this afternoon, on a community-based broadcast after the broadcast of First Minister’s question time, I gave an interview setting out my commitment to community radio. If the member wishes to tune in, the station might have a record of that.
I will look up their recording of transmission and listen to it. That was prescient.
On Tuesday, I was in London speaking to the United Kingdom Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey, who confirmed that the second tranche of funding for superfast broadband development in the UK is due to be announced next month, and that Scotland will do well out of that announcement. I welcome that because I think that we should not only be able to have footfalls in galleries in Scotland, but enable Scots to have access to the galleries of the world by clicking through virtual tours on the internet.
Access is a huge part of the arts equation, and one of the best ways in which we can open up arts to everyone in Scotland is through the festivals that we have up and down the country. I have talked about the ones that we have in Glasgow, and there are other local festivals as well as national ones. Participation in festivals, including at the grass-roots level, can do a great deal. The voluntary arts—they have not been spoken about in this debate, but I hope to hear more about them—which include craft and traditional craft, do a great deal to help with wellbeing and sense of community, and issues such as confidence, team building and mental health.
I want to touch on the Commonwealth games in my flexible six minutes. We all know that, alongside the Olympic games—that other huge multisport event—runs a cultural Olympiad. I hope that we can have something similar in Glasgow in 2014. I recognise what the cabinet secretary said about investigating options. We must get an accelerated start on that if we are going to make sure that it is a success in 2014.
Will the member give way on that point?
I hope that the cabinet secretary will come back to that point in her closing remarks; I am just about to finish.
The arts in Scotland have so much to give. Let us give them to the wider world that comes to visit us. Yes, £5.4 billion in the Scottish economy comes from the arts and culture, but they have so much more value than the number of pounds that we put on them.
We have so much to be proud of and so many people who make Scotland the cultural giant that she is. From the biggest of the movie stars to the village theatre group, we are a race and a people with a hundred stories and a thousand voices to tell each one.
I hope that the Government fulfils its commitment to the arts in the coming parliamentary session. It will find the Conservatives to be helpful and consensual when it has good ideas, robust auditing and firm foundations for the future but, by God, we will be harsh critics should it fail to live up to the high expectations of the people of Scotland.
15:26
I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak in today’s debate. Every nation should be in a position to determine its own external affairs. Foreign relations is a field that affects the people of Scotland directly, but it is one in which Scotland has limited opportunity to take independent and decisive action. Be it in climate change negotiations, defending vital national interests in the EU, or the promotion of peace and justice in the world, Scotland’s voice is not heard as we would wish it to be heard. We are held back, not by our ambitions or hunger to influence change, but by the constitutional constraints upon us.
Today I will focus on the Scottish Government’s international development policy. Within external affairs, international development is arguably one of the Scottish Government’s most successful policies. Scotland has been able to make ground despite the limited capacity to which I have referred. Indeed, Oxfam recently stated:
“Scotland’s International Development Fund ... has grown from its infancy in 2005, into a more mature and significant tool with which to help fight poverty in developing countries on behalf of the Scottish people.”
I hope that we all agree with that.
Many constituents whom I spoke to in the lead-up to the election, including a number of supporters of the British Red Cross, demanded a firm commitment that the Scottish Government’s £9 million budget for international development would be protected, so I am glad that the Scottish Government has been unequivocal in its commitment to protect the current level of investment, while being mindful of the fact that the global recession and its consequences will be felt more sharply in developing nations.
It is regrettable that the UK Government defence secretary, Mr Liam Fox, recently set his face against there being a legal target to meet the United Nations national aid target of 0.7 per cent of GDP by 2013. Indeed, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the five nations in the world that have so far exceeded the UN target are small or medium-sized European countries, such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark. I am sure that the cabinet secretary will share my aspiration to see Scotland in a position to fully contribute and adhere to international aid commitments in the same way as many of our European counterparts do. The truth is that, in 2011, we still live in a world in which, according to the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, approximately 22,000 children die each day because of hunger and malnutrition. The challenges that developing countries face are compounded by the lack of basic infrastructure and public services, such as clean water, sanitation, health and education.
The SNP Government made a commitment to play its part in helping to achieve UN millennium development goals by committing £13 million over three years, which has gone towards projects in some of the world’s most disadvantaged nations—places such as Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda and Darfur. Those projects aim to tackle severe health problems, to ensure that sustainable sources of food can be achieved and, above all, to provide training to ensure that we have doctors, nurses and teachers on the ground.
The largest Scottish Government-funded programme—I associate myself with Patricia Ferguson’s earlier remarks—is the Malawi development programme. To cite a successful example of the scheme, the Mary’s Meals project is now feeding more than 10 per cent of the school population in Malawi. The principal aims of the millennium development goals are to eradicate poverty and hunger and to halve the proportion of people who are living on less than $1 a day.
The Scottish Government must continue to monitor the progress and success of the projects that it funds. To that effect, it is encouraging that the independent review of the Scottish Government’s projects in Malawi concluded that 32 of the 39 projects selected had met a number of key expectations—they were, for example, efficiently delivered, effective in meeting their planned outcomes and reasonably sustainable. Last year, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said:
“In a few short years Malawi has come from famine to feast; from food deficit to surplus; from food-importing country to food exporting country.”
Part of that success has come from ensuring that countries such as Scotland successfully manage projects through credible organisations, thereby ensuring that the development can be achieved in partnership with communities and non-governmental organisations.
I highlight the work of Christian Aid, which has exposed the cost of tax avoidance in developing countries. Christian Aid has estimated that tax avoidance by multinational companies costs developing countries somewhere in the region of £100 billion a year—one and a half times what those nations receive in international aid.
The challenge for the international community is to introduce a system of country-by-country reporting as an international accounting standard in order to prevent tax evasion. Forcing companies to reveal more information, including information on the profits that they make and the taxes that they pay in individual countries, would prevent them from hiding their profits and avoiding their financial, social and corporate responsibility to the world’s poorest. If countries such as Malawi had access to those funds, they would be able to build schools and hospitals, to improve their infrastructure generally and to lift more people out of poverty. In a country where thousands of children have been orphaned by HIV-related illnesses and people have a low life expectancy, those so-called missing millions would go a long way in alleviating poverty on a massive scale.
The European Commission has been exploring the potential introduction of a new accounting standard for multinationals, and I would be interested to know—perhaps the cabinet secretary could tell us when she sums up—whether the Scottish Government has made representations in support of such reforms, or would be in a position to make them, to the Commission and the UK Government. Scotland can provide leadership on the global stage on issues such as climate change, nuclear disarmament and international aid, and it is high time that we had the real powers that would allow us to have a genuine international voice.
15:32
I am thrilled to take part in the debate as an MSP who lives in, and now represents, a city whose cultural scene is renowned around the world.
It would be remiss of me to make a speech on culture without mentioning the various Edinburgh festivals and the fabulous contribution that they make to the economy of our capital city, and the enrichment that they offer its citizens and, indeed, visitors from across Scotland and further afield. I strongly encourage members to consider signing my motion on the Edinburgh festivals, S4M-00161, and to book as many shows as they can, now.
In the time available, I hope to cover two issues: crime fiction and Scottish theatre. The writer Denise Mina wrote a fascinating piece for the British Council a few years ago about how we classify culture. As a nation, we consider opera, ballet and theatre to be high art, while we classify musical theatre and crime fiction as being somewhat lowbrow. She argued that the real distinction should be between good and bad work—there are terrible operas and great crime novels.
Scotland certainly excels at crime fiction. From Inspector Rebus to Carol Jordan, and from DI Steel to Bob Skinner, our home-grown writers produce characters that not only sell hundreds of thousands of books but lead to television series and film productions that continue to entertain our people and power our economy. Nine out of 10 of the most borrowed books from libraries and the top three novels that were sold at Waverley station last week were crime novels.
Crime fiction is something that we, as a nation, simply cannot get enough of. As well as being a cultural commodity that we consume under desks and on buses and beaches, quickly and feverishly, it has the power to drive social change, or at least to inform social attitudes. Ian Rankin's “Fleshmarket Close” looked at the life of asylum seekers living in Scotland, while Stuart MacBride’s “Cold Granite” looked at the perilous livelihoods of Aberdeen sex workers. They are examples of narrative that seeks to make sense of our country’s ills at the same time as shocking, amusing, horrifying but, ultimately, entertaining. I am sure that the minister recognises the value of our home-grown crime-writing talent, and I hope that she will do everything that she can to encourage and support the next generation of Scottish writers.
Moving from MacBride to Macbeth, I pay tribute to the excellent production of “Dunsinane” that recently finished a run at both the Royal Lyceum theatre in Edinburgh and the Citizens in Glasgow. The play, which was written by the Edinburgh-born David Greig, originally ran at the Hampstead theatre in London and was brought to Scotland by the National Theatre of Scotland in conjunction with the Lyceum. It has now returned to Hampstead with its Lyceum cast.
When I spoke to Alex McGowan, the director of the Lyceum, earlier this week, he had many interesting comments to make, one of which was to do with the conditions of the grants that Creative Scotland gives to theatres. At present, a company is allowed to use only 15 per cent of its grant to take its production out of Scotland. I wonder whether that is inhibiting the ability of our home-grown writing, acting and production talent to take their work beyond our borders. I would welcome the cabinet secretary’s views on that point.
Kezia Dugdale makes an important point about the balance between helping to support and promote writers within Scotland and being unafraid to champion the export that she mentions. It is helpful to know of her support and that of other members in the chamber. We must have that opportunity to showcase our writers, so I very much welcome her comments.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that response.
The Lyceum’s funding position is currently stable. It knows where it stands financially right up until March 2013, which is a position that some other theatres would envy. However, the theatre’s finance is complex and much of the money that it receives to offer reduced-price tickets and take theatre workshops into schools comes from the local authority. The City of Edinburgh Council has an excellent relationship with the theatre, but it is fair to say that all parties are nervous about future local government settlements and the impact that they might have on the accessibility of our arts.
“Dunsinane” was a co-production between the National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company, which is to be welcomed. Alex McGowan tells me that the Lyceum has a further three co-productions lined up in its new season, including one with the Dundee Rep, which I am sure my colleague Jenny Marra will welcome. However, a word of caution must be aired about co-productions, particularly if they are to become the norm in light of the difficult financial climate. Joint productions by their very nature reduce the number of opportunities for new writers to see their words come alive.
Finally, I will speak up for all the people behind the writers and actors—the set designers, the lighting and sound technicians and the costume people. They are all highly skilled individuals who often come through our further education system. There is a great deal of concern among that community that future cuts to FE courses, particularly in the arts subjects, could produce a dearth of the very skills that Scotland needs in order to keep producing first-class productions such as “Dunsinane”.
Whether it is plot twists or playwrights, our Government should continue to support our world-renowned cultural sector.
15:37
As a Lanarkshire lass, I am delighted that our new Scots makar is Newarthill-born Liz Lochhead. In her poem “Kidspoem/Bairnsang”, she describes more beautifully and succinctly that I could a little of my and my peers’ early experience of Scottish culture. The poem is about a wee girl’s experience of her first day at school. I quote:
“My Mum ...
gie’d me a wee kiss and a kid-oan skelp oan the bum
and sent me aff across the playground
tae the place A’d learn to say ...
gave me a little kiss and a pretend slap on the bottom
and sent me off across the playground
to the place I’d learn to forget to say
it wis January
and a gey driech day”.
We have come a long way since my childhood experiences of education in Lanarkshire. We now celebrate our Scots language and recognise it for its richness and depth of expression. As a Wishaw councillor, I am delighted that North and South Lanarkshire Councils have included in their curriculum development surrounding the international children’s games an ICG Scots language project that has been developed and delivered in conjunction with Matthew Fitt. Indeed, when looking for a chirpy slogan that might cheer up those who are attending the games but are in need of a rain mac in August, we have simply settled on one Scots word that says it all—drookit.
I also welcome the fact that North and South Lanarkshire Councils are hosting a health and wellbeing conference, which will be held in conjunction with the games for the first time. Not only will our young athletes enjoy the cultural exchange that the games bring, but we will be examining and celebrating the sporting benefits for young people.
When I reflect on my early experience, I know that our culture surrounds us in every aspect of our lives. I grew up attending 7:84 and Wildcat theatre productions, and I recognise that Scots culture is defined and shaped by our politics, our history, our struggles and conflicts, and our immigrants.
Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s “Sunset Song” is a classic example of culture that weaves the themes of Scottish national identity, peasant and rural struggle, and modernisation and technology, and it can be read as an analogy of our nation’s transition from the pastoral to the industrial era. In culture, whether that found in a petri dish by Alexander Fleming or that which inspires and entertains us, we are indeed a rich nation.
Maya Angelou once said of our bard Robert Burns:
“His spirit was a humanitarian spirit, he was able to love human beings, and his imagination was vast.”
I once heard Maya Angelou being interviewed on Radio 4 by James Naughtie. Ms Angelou took none too kindly to being introduced as one of the most renowned black authors in the world. Much to the embarrassment of Mr Naughtie, who had meant no offence, she asked why he needed to use the word “black” as she was simply one of the most renowned authors in the world.
Maya Angelou’s fear was that the use of the word “black” diminished her achievements and recognition for her work. I fear that in some instances and by some organisations the use of the word “Scottish” has diminished and pigeonholed our own cultural achievements. James McAvoy, Brian Cox and Sean Connery are world-renowned actors who happen to be Scottish; Annie Lennox, Evelyn Glennie and Biffy Clyro are world-renowned musicians who happen to be Scottish; and Ian Rankin, Irvine Welsh and James Robertson are world-renowned authors who happen to be Scottish.
We must build on Scotland’s past and ensure that from this point forward the word “Scottish” is a mark of excellence and talent and a benchmark for creative achievement throughout the world. The Scottish Government has come a considerable way in establishing that identity with the inception of Creative Scotland, which seeks to increase the number and range of people using and enjoying the creative arts. In addition, Creative Scotland seeks to identify, support and develop talent and excellence in the arts and, in doing so, to realise the benefits, both economic and otherwise.
Supported through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh festivals expo fund, the made in Scotland project has placed a diverse programme of high-quality Scottish work firmly in the spotlight. I look forward to the expansion of those funds and plans to make Scotland’s talent available to a wider international audience. I also look forward to greater engagement with the Scottish diaspora and welcome proposals for the National Library of Scotland and the National Archives of Scotland to increase the availability of family records and boost our ancestral tourism.
The soundtrack to the film “Sex and the City”—I wager that nobody thought that that would come up this afternoon—includes Scots folk duo The Cast and their hauntingly beautiful rendition of “Auld Lang Syne”. I was lucky enough to see The Cast in the Rowantree folk club in Uddingston many years ago, when singer Mairi Campbell treated us to an impromptu Scottish step dance. Mairi teaches Scottish step dance and is considered an expert in that area, but she had to attend the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in Nova Scotia to learn her craft because so much of it had been lost in Scotland.
In re-engaging with Scots and those of Scots heritage around the world, we enrich and reinvigorate our own culture, and I welcome a second homecoming in 2014.
15:44
I welcome the opportunity to participate in this debate. In my speech, I will focus on Scotland’s relations with the EU and how they must, given the important negotiations that lie ahead, be strengthened.
It goes without saying that a wide range of EU laws, regulations and policies have very important consequences for Scotland, and impinge directly on the Parliament’s devolved competences including, for example, agriculture and fishing, energy and climate change, research and development, and justice. It is therefore essential that the views of the Scottish Government and this Parliament be properly represented at all stages of the EU legislative process: consultation, negotiation and legislative scrutiny.
In that context, I welcome the provision in the Lisbon treaty that national and regional parliaments are to engage with member state Parliaments to ensure that EU legislation that impacts on devolved matters does not violate the subsidiarity principle. As a member of the European and External Relations Committee and as the EU reporter for the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee, I look forward to participating fully in that new subsidiarity procedure.
However, Scotland's legitimate EU interests are represented not only through this Parliament; the principal responsibility in that endeavour falls to the Scottish Government. Currently, in formulating its negotiating position on EU legislative proposals, the UK Government is obliged to consult the Scottish Government. However, it is under no obligation to adjust its position in the light of that consultation, regardless of the importance to Scotland of the issue under discussion. Moreover, when the UK Government enters into policy negotiations in Brussels, Scottish Government ministers have no right to attend or to participate in those discussions, even if—once again—the issue is centrally important to Scotland. That is no longer acceptable and I will demonstrate why.
When, next week, the European Commission unveils its proposals for the shape of the EU budget for 2014 to 2020 it will, in effect, fire the starting gun for the debate on the future shape of all EU spending policies, many of which are of key importance to Scotland. One such policy is the common agricultural policy, further reform of which will be one of the key debates over the next two years. Unless Scottish ministers are fully involved in the entire process, particularly in debates in the Council of Ministers on agriculture, our farming and wider rural interests stand to suffer significantly.
The UK Government’s approach to the EU budget talks is to secure a real reduction in EU spending. To that end, it wishes to phase out direct payments to farmers under the current CAP pillar 1 and to reduce spending under pillar 2. If agreed, those reforms will do considerable damage to Scotland’s farmers and food-related sectors and will significantly undermine the economic wellbeing of our fragile rural communities, including in the south of Scotland. In fact, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment made that very point yesterday. That example alone highlights the defects in the current arrangements and shows why, when matters of such crucial importance to our industries and communities are being considered, it is essential that Scottish Government ministers be able by right to attend and contribute to discussions in the EU Council of Ministers.
Since 2007, the SNP Government has attached considerable importance to our EU engagement. In that regard, it has set out four key priorities—energy and climate change; marine environment; research and creativity; and freedom, justice and security—and I know that ministers have worked constructively with the UK Government on delivering some of the many successes that since then have been achieved in those areas. However, in the light of the respect agenda, the time has now come for the Scottish Government's participation in that relationship to be enhanced.
The Scottish Government is seeking the Parliament’s support for the Scotland Bill to be amended to give Scotland a statutory right for Scottish ministers to attend EU council meetings where discussions touch on devolved responsibilities, and a right to speak for the UK where Scottish interests predominate. It is absolutely vital for Scotland to be at the heart of the crucial negotiations that lie ahead on reforming the common agricultural policy, the common fisheries policy, future EU structural funds and future research and innovation policies, all of which will have significant implications for Scotland. In working together with our partners in both the Council and the European Parliament, Scotland needs as strong a voice as possible at that negotiating table.
It will come as no surprise to anyone that I believe that only as a fully independent member state within the European Union will Scotland have real influence and a real voice in ensuring that its EU policy interests are properly represented. Having spent five years working in the European Parliament in Brussels, I assure members that I never once encountered a colleague from one of the many smaller EU member states who thought that they would be better off allowing one of the larger member states to speak on their behalf. In an EU of member states there is simply no substitute for being at the top table—and that is where Scotland belongs. Until then, however, we must ensure that the arrangements for the devolved Scottish Government are such that Scotland’s legitimate interests are represented in EU negotiations as part of the UK delegation.
I sincerely hope that in the debates to come on the Scotland Bill this Government gets the support of the entire Parliament in that endeavour.
I now call Hanzala Malik, who is making his first speech in the chamber.
15:49
Thank you, Presiding Officer. First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Glasgow for electing me to represent their interests in the Scottish Parliament. It is a huge pleasure and privilege for me, as a Glasgow lad who always wanted to come to this chamber. At long last, the people of Glasgow have offered me the opportunity. I hope to do them proud.
I wish well the people who did not make it to the Parliament—whether the ex-MSPs or the new hopefuls. I also congratulate the Labour Party, because at long last it has managed to get somebody from an ethnic minority into this chamber. That is a welcome development, and I hope that the party can build on it. I hope to help the party in that aim.
I give particular thanks to all the community groups that are working so hard out there on our culture, our needs and our quality of life. Under very difficult circumstances, they do a lot of vital work for communities—the type of work that local authorities and the Parliament could not do. The amount of effort that people put into voluntary work is wonderful. I would like to thank them, and I hope that they will continue with their work.
Culture has changed in Scotland. It has moved away from being Americanised and anglicised; it has become Scottish, and more and more so. We are finding our roots. We are not just bagpipes and haggis; we have a lot more to offer from the important elements of our heritage and culture. When we talk about having one police force and one fire service, that is heritage, growth and looking forward. We are moving forward and getting our communities to come with us. We want better achievements and a quality of life that we can be proud of and can share around the world. For example, our fire service and our police force have started to train people from overseas. That is a very welcome new development. It means that we are encouraging those services to look for moneys from outwith the local authorities and the Government; they are now earning money because they have expertise to offer.
Sometimes we forget that we are a nation of inventors. Historically, we have done great and wonderful things, and we now need to embed that idea in our youth. We have a huge bank of expertise and young talent in this country—people who are itching to get on and do something. We want to build our economy, and the only way we will do that will be to give people opportunity. That is incumbent on us: we have to find new ways of encouraging young people. We do not wish our young people just to give up, so we must establish something for them.
One way of doing that will be to deal with our traditional friends. We Scots have many wonderful relationships around the world, and I will mention a few places with which we have worked historically: Bahrain, China, Indonesia, India, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Europe and the United Arab Emirates. Those are all people with whom we have worked, and we need to welcome them back to Scotland. I think that they have forgotten where we are. We need to tell them where we are and that we are open for business. We need to tell them that we are here as their friends and that we wish to work with them.
The work of our universities and colleges has been very encouraging. They have done tremendous work in promoting Scotland as a destination for education and expertise. They have shown dynamism for Scotland, but we sometimes forget that our universities and colleges need support. They do something that the Parliament perhaps cannot do—they can form one-to-one engagements with our friends overseas. They can encourage them to continue to come to this country as a destination for quality education. Also, while they are out there doing that job, they can promote Scotland as a destination for development, for industry and for inventions. We are open for business; this is the gateway to the new world.
We want our young people to be proud of us and of themselves, and the only way that we will achieve that is by ensuring that they recognise where their roots are, what their culture is, what their nation is and how they can make this country alive again. We need something that is bubbling, and that is going to happen only if we stimulate our industry and our economy by working with people.
It is important that the countries that I have mentioned realise that we are genuinely open for business and want to come and engage with us. We will also go to them if they want us to go there. We need to do that.
We are an industrial nation, not an agricultural nation; we need to have industry and to manufacture. We need to do things that will stimulate our economy, and the best way forward is through bringing our people together with us.
I am encouraged by a lot of what the cabinet secretary said, but I would like the Government to get our young people, our institutions and our colleges and universities more involved. We need to involve private industry, in particular. We must support our industries to encourage our economy.
We have some time in hand, if any member wants extra time for interventions.
15:56
I congratulate Mr Malik on his thought-provoking maiden speech. In preparing my speech, I was a wee bit worried that it might feel slightly parochial. However, having heard some of the other speeches, I think that it will be equally parochial, but positively and for an important reason. I ask members to take that in the spirit in which it is offered.
I hail from Renfrewshire North and West, which includes the community of north Renfrewshire and part of Paisley. My colleague George Adam represents Paisley and will jealously guard the title of MSP for Paisley, but I co-represent the town of Paisley, particularly the community of Gallowhill and the Glasgow airport part of the constituency. Every member could have come to the chamber today and spoken about why their constituency or region is wonderful and has great cultural positives. I will take great pleasure in doing that for Renfrewshire North and West.
Paisley is, of course, Scotland’s largest town and it has a wonderful history of weaving, including the story of sma’ shot and the radical workers who rebelled to get the payment that they were due, thereby creating new law on workers’ rights. Paisley’s contribution to lawmaking also extends into the law of negligence in Scotland, which was established in Paisley with the famous “snail in the bottle” case. The 80th anniversary of that case will be next year, and a conference will be convened to commemorate it.
Another thought-provoking event in Paisley was the Scottish national holocaust memorial day service, which took place in 2009. The event reminded me of the line that those who do not learn from the mistakes of our human history are bound to repeat them. It is important that we know our history and our culture.
From a European perspective, Paisley is well established, right down to papal interests. The Cluniac monastic order visited Paisley last year, looking for a venue in Europe to take their order for a conference. The cabinet secretary, who was then a minister, supported that and Paisley has won the bid to host that conference. In addition, in 2013, Paisley abbey will celebrate its 850th anniversary. It has just launched a campaign for a new visitor centre, and it is a fantastic cultural asset to Renfrewshire. The British Library has helped to showcase the “Arbuthnott Missal”, which in my opinion is equivalent to the “Book of Kells”. Paisley is also home to Paisley shawls, which are known the world over.
Perhaps our finest achievement, which I shared in as the then leader of Renfrewshire Council and the chair of Paisley vision board, in respect of which I declare an interest, was in attracting the Royal National Mod to Paisley in 2013. It was maybe not the venue that some people were expecting, but it was a fantastic achievement for both the mod and for the town of Paisley.
The Renfrewshire renaissance extends beyond Paisley. Renfrew town hall is being reinvigorated as we speak, with the town’s common-good fund contributing to that. External support has also been secured from Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
We have Braehead, which has not just a retail centre but Scotland’s only indoor snow slope. I see Gil Paterson in the chamber; I understand that he is a keen skier and perhaps an unlikely snowboarder—I know that he enjoys that sport.
We are talking about not just buildings and artefacts but people—Paisley boasts John Byrne, Paolo Nutini and David Tennant. A bit further back, John Witherspoon was a Paisley minister who signed the American declaration of independence.
We are also home to one of Scotland’s largest regional parks. We have made an immense international contribution, partly because Glasgow airport is located in Renfrewshire. We have become one of Scotland’s newest fair-trade counties, which shows that we are not just nationalists but internationalists, with a deep sense of civic pride in support for those who are beyond our borders.
Sandy Stoddart, who is the Queen’s sculptor in Scotland, lives in Paisley. He has a vision for a fantastic equestrian monument to Sir William Wallace. I would like to stick with the cultural consensus, but I gently point out to Labour Party members that the Paisley vision board—a partnership board—is supporting examination of the feasibility of that monument, which would be paid for from private subscriptions and not necessarily from public funds.
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
Paisley also gave us Andrew Neil, but it must be forgiven for some things.
I declare an interest in sculpture, as I was at the forefront of ensuring that a statue of Robert the Bruce appeared in front of Marischal college in Aberdeen. Sculpture is immensely important. We should celebrate the fact that we have Mr Stoddart, Alan Herriot and some of the best sculptors in the world and that we help them to export their amazing art.
Indeed. I confirm that there are no proposals for a monument to Andrew Neil, but Scotland’s patriot William Wallace should be remembered. It is slightly disappointing that the Labour group in Renfrewshire seems to prefer to have 26 dog bins in Renfrewshire and has called for us to spend money on that instead of funding the sculpture’s feasibility study. I am not convinced that tourists from around the world will come to Paisley to visit dog bins, although they might come to see a new equestrian monument to Sir William Wallace.
Our cultural contribution has been immense. As a Renfrewshire councillor, I have often seen members of the Parliament criticise Renfrewshire on education and culture policies. However, the administration in Renfrewshire is spending more than £100 million on schools, leisure and culture. What a fantastic achievement that is, without the requirement for public-private partnerships.
The financial climate in which we operate might have changed, but our ambitions and our cultural aspirations for Renfrewshire have not. I hope that members have not found my speech to be too parochial. I wanted to make the point that every part of our country—whether it is urban or rural—can have the ability and the ambition to go forward to boost our cultural economy and capitalise on Scotland’s immense cultural wealth.
I call Jenny Marra, to be followed by Joan McAlpine.
16:03
Presiding Officer, I am slightly nervous now that you have said that I am speaking before a cultural commentator such as Joan McAlpine, but I hope that I can do the debate justice.
I will pick up Aileen McLeod’s point about Scotland’s relationship with, and place in, the European Union. I disagree with her—we will probably discover that as we work together in the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee on the common fisheries policy and the common agricultural policy. I, too, have worked in Europe and I believe that devolution has given Scotland a big advantage, because Scotland now has a distinctive voice in EU negotiations and it has the clout of Britain’s membership as one of the biggest contributors and biggest political players in the European Union. However, I look forward to working hand in hand with Aileen McLeod on that subject in the committee.
I agree completely with Clare Adamson that the word “Scottish” should be a cultural benchmark of excellence, and I firmly believe that it already is. I have been lucky enough to travel to a few places and wherever I have been in the world I have found that there is immediate recognition of and warmth for Scotland, which I think is in no small part due to the immense cultural offering that we have in this country.
On Sunday afternoon, when the rains went off for a while, it was a great privilege to lie on Magdalen green at the Dundee westfest festival. It was a fantastic afternoon, which was the culmination of a week in which the community of the west end of Dundee came together for several events, including music, theatre and a BBC debate. The culmination of the week was a world-record-breaking piggyback race on the green—in Dundee we always called it a cuddieback race, but I am not sure that the Guinness book of world records would recognise cuddies.
Will the member give way?
No, thank you. Sorry, Ruth.
What struck me about the day was how people had come together to use their talents to bring the community together. Several new bands went on stage to entertain the crowds and it was encouraging to see other bands, including The View, sitting on the grass listening to the new talent that is coming out of Dundee. It was a great afternoon.
The westfest made me think of Labour’s commitment in this year’s manifesto to free music tuition in our schools. I went through music tuition at school, so the commitment is dear to my heart. The westfest proved how important it is that all children, from all parts of our community, have good access to and a good start in culture at school. I ask the cabinet secretary whether she is prepared to meet Labour’s manifesto commitment on music tuition.
Will the member give way?
If the member’s intervention is briefer than his previous one, I will give way.
It will be briefer; it is a simple question. Labour had a manifesto commitment on music tuition and it has said similar things in Aberdeen before now, but it has never said how it would fund the commitment. Will the member give an indication of how Labour would have funded its manifesto commitment?
There were many manifesto commitments, and it is not clear how many of the Government’s manifesto commitments will be funded. For example, we do not know how the gap in higher education funding will be filled. The member should look to his Government for answers on funding commitments.
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to go round the degree show at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. As the cabinet secretary said, the art colleges produce some of the most impressive displays of culture and innovation in our country and it is exciting to see what the youngsters are producing and what the future holds. In the product design department I was struck by a wireless Skype design by Anna Clara Rendahl. I would not be surprised if the item is in all our households in 10 or 15 years’ time.
What is exciting about the cultural opportunities in our country is that they have an immense impact on local economies and the national economy. Does the minister have initiatives, such as a fund—perhaps funded from private money, because public money is tight—that would encourage graduates from our art schools to commercialise their innovations? There are a number of projects, but is there one that provides direct investment at graduation?
We have a number of existing funds to help to commercialise ideas from students and graduates, but I am happy to consider a proposal. She might be aware of the Scottish six, which is a proposal to invest in new talent and emerging ideas, particularly on product design such as Jenny Marra described.
I thank the minister for her intervention.
A couple of years ago the London School of Economics and Political Science produced a book entitled “Phoenix Cities: The Fall and Rise of Great Industrial Cities”, which described the catalyst effect of major cultural institutions in post-industrial cities. The Victoria and Albert museum project in Dundee presents an opportunity to regenerate the city and its waterfront which, as I am sure all members know, is one of the most beautiful river vistas in the UK, if not in western Europe.
Indeed, a number of British institutions evoke great affection in Scotland and are set to bring great advances to our country. The V and A project is one of those. It was an inspirational idea a few years ago from the University of Dundee, with immense economic and structural spin-off advantages for our economy. The project will lead to massive regeneration of the waterfront, and to excitement, optimism and hope.
Since the start of this parliamentary session, I have already asked John Swinney whether he will commit to the Government’s £15 million portion of the funding for the project. Today, I ask the cabinet secretary whether she can commit the full £15 million, so that Dundee can truly benefit from this exciting project.
I call Joan McAlpine. A generous amount of time is available for interventions, should members wish to take them.
16:10
I will take full advantage of it.
I thank Jenny Marra for her kind comments, although I think that her modesty was misplaced, as her contribution was very impressive. Like her, I am very interested in the cultural influence on our economy and in the way that cities can benefit from, in particular, the creative industries.
One of the world’s leading thinkers in this field is Professor Richard Florida of the University of Toronto. He has identified what he calls a “creative class” of “high bohemians” who bring dynamism and energy to the places where they go to live, and stimulate economic regeneration—it is the power of cool, so to speak.
Such creative clusters exist all over the world. Some of the more famous examples are Palo Alto in California, Vancouver in Canada and Bangalore in India. It is particularly pleasing that Professor Florida has identified Glasburgh—the Edinburgh-Glasgow corridor—as one of Europe’s creative mega-regions. I would add Dundee to that, as Jenny Marra told us about Dundee’s incredible contribution to culture in Scotland, to form a mega-triangle of creativity. It is not only our urban areas that benefit from this cluster effect, because it moves out into the hinterland of the cities. We now talk about city regions as areas for development.
I will talk about an industry that combines creativity with technology and can have a huge impact on the growth of urban and rural areas: the computer games industry. Scotland has 10 per cent of the UK computer games industry and is now the third region for computer games development in Europe. The industry is rapidly changing. Games used to come in packages, and still come in packages sold through shops and delivered by the road, but that has changed a lot, with a resulting impact on the industry’s carbon footprint, because now the trend is towards online games, network gaming and social games played through networks such as Facebook.
Games are also played on all sorts of screens. Computer games is a bit of a misnomer because games are played on tablets and, increasingly, on mobile phones. That means that they can be developed anywhere, so geography does not matter when it comes to developing computer games. The most successful mobile game to date, “Angry Birds”, was born in Finland. It has generated revenue of $70 million from development costs of $140,000.
I was delighted when the Hare brothers of Outplay announced earlier this year that they were coming back from America to their native Scotland to set up a similar mobile games company in Dundee.
We also have our own homegrown examples of mobile games, such as the football game “Championship Manager” by Dynamo Games, which won the best sports game in the international mobile gaming awards in 2011.
I am glad that the Scottish Government has recognised the importance of the video games industry through its creative industries strategy and the work of Scottish Enterprise. There is still more to do and, in particular, I urge the minister to take note of reports by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts and the Scottish Affairs Select Committee at Westminster that, while we produce lots of creative people, we must ensure that they have the mathematics and programming skills to make their imaginations come to life. An emphasis on STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—in schools is essential. That is something that we can do here in this Parliament with the power that we have over education.
However, the industry faces additional challenges that our limited economic powers in this Parliament cannot address adequately. The recession has hit the games industry in this country particularly hard. Across the UK as a whole, the sector has contracted by 9 per cent between 2008 and 2010. In Scotland, the size of the development workforce shrank by 18 per cent last year.
Our difficulties have nothing to do with a lack of talent or creativity, because we excel in those areas. A report for Scottish Enterprise two years ago called “Digital Inspiration: Strategy for Scotland’s Digital Media Industry” found that the Scottish gaming industry was world leading when it came to innovation, which is a tribute to our colleges and schools. However, the report also found that we need to be better at growing our digital-savvy companies, upscaling them and building on the talent that we have because, often, our most successful companies have sold out to multinationals; we have not been able to grow them ourselves.
An interesting fact is that, although we have 10 per cent of the UK industry, we have 25 per cent of the gaming companies in the UK. We have lots of start-ups, but they are not large enough. They are still too small and need nurtured.
Difficulties in bank borrowing have particularly hit the industry. It is not a traditional industry and does not have traditional businesspeople—cultural people are not traditionally au fait with business skills. It also suffers from the fact that, as all small businessmen know, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Lloyds Banking Group dominance in the marketplace in Scotland makes it difficult to borrow the relatively small amounts that some of those one-man or two-person businesses need.
I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government’s creative industries strategy has improved access to finance as a key objective, but we must go further. Other countries have overtaken not only Scotland, but the whole UK in the games industry. Canada, France and parts of the United States are offering tax relief to the sector and, within Canada, Montreal has witnessed a phenomenal growth in multimedia industries.
Other countries have picked that up. The Irish culture minister recently announced that he intends to thoroughly investigate the benefits that could come from a games sector tax relief. The UK-wide industry body TIGA—the Independent Games Developers Association Ltd—has lobbied for a long time for tax incentives. The Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives supported TIGA’s position before the 2010 general election but abandoned that support shortly afterwards.
Westminster has come up with some changes to the landscape that affect the digital media economy, but they do not address the unique challenges that Scottish companies face. For example, the Westminster Government created an industry hub in London, which is not really where the help was needed, and introduced tax relief on research and development to boost innovation. However, it refused to introduce the kind of tax relief that the film industry enjoys.
Although tax relief on R and D and innovation is welcome, Scotland’s biggest challenge is not innovation. We have the ideas and the developers; we just need the incentives that allow the developers to grow. We need to take matters into our own hands. A recent survey for PricewaterhouseCoopers showed that the computer games industry will be worth £86.8 billion in three years’ time. Scotland is well placed to take advantage of that, but we need the fiscal levers to assist our companies to reach the next level.
16:17
I congratulate Hanzala Malik on a well thought-out, inspired and inspiring maiden speech. In it, he reminded us that we need to reach out to the world and that it is important to involve all the voluntary organisations that do that and, in particular, to involve our children in doing it.
On the subject of reaching out, last night I hosted the Refugee Council reception in the Parliament. A group of young children from all nations who are now at a primary school in Glasgow came along and read some stories from their book, which was about their dreams of Scotland and how they see their place in the world. It chimed perfectly with what Hanzala Malik said today.
I also welcome him to his role as deputy convener on the European and External Relations Committee. I am sure that we will have some inspiring experiences together as we take that committee forward.
I will do something that I do not often do: praise the last Labour First Minister. During Jack McConnell’s time in office, Scotland’s links with Malawi were strengthened and enhanced. It was his idea that the then Scottish Executive should play a part in international development. Recognising that the devolution settlement did not allow for any great programmes, he decided to focus on Malawi and its obvious links with David Livingstone and Scotland.
I am proud that the first SNP Scottish Government built on Mr McConnell’s fine initiative and developed the relationship with Malawi. I am delighted that we have continued to strengthen those links and work in partnership with people all over Scotland to bring some aid, some help and some improvement to the lives of people in Malawi.
I pay particular tribute to the work of the Scotland Malawi Partnership—I declare an interest as a member of that organisation—and the way in which it keeps the Parliament, the cross-party group, MSPs, members of Parliament, members of the European Parliament and the Government informed about what is happening out there.
I am sure that other members of the Parliament share the sense of achievement that Scotland has made a positive difference in the world. I believe that the sense of being part of a global community and striving for a better understanding of each other and for a fairer world chimes with the vast majority of Scots.
I very much agree with what Christina McKelvie says about our commitment, and that we should be helping countries such as Malawi, even though we have a limited budget. I admit, however, that some of my constituents come to me and say, “Well, money’s tight—shouldn’t we just look after Scotland and forget about the rest of the world?” How would Christina McKelvie answer them?
Scotland has always been a nation of pioneers, often in a very good sense, although sometimes not. I have represented Central Scotland, and my links with the David Livingstone centre when it was under threat reinforced my belief that we need to reach out to the world. We need to demonstrate Scotland’s place in the world, and a big part of that is about how we deal with people who we care about. Our very special relationship with Malawi demonstrates that well, so I would find that question quite easy to answer. Having visited Malawi in 2008, I witnessed the positive impact on communities of our commitment to support the people there, and I am delighted that that support is continuing.
My colleague Jim Eadie has spoken about Scotland’s role in international development, our connections with other African nations and how we as a nation are reconnecting with the world. It is clear from the contributions from members on all sides of the chamber that it is a real cross-party effort; that this Parliament has become Scotland’s voice in many respects; and that this crucible of debate helps Scotland to develop her own opinion. I note as an aside that it has not always been so. Some time ago, when members in a previous parliamentary session were debating the war in Iraq, some members suggested that such a thing should not be a point for discussion in this forum. It is exceptionally good to see that we have grown up from that strange position, and that no one here now would think to try to limit the topics that are open for debate in the chamber.
Scots now rightly look to the Scottish Parliament to hear what is being said about the great issues affecting the world, and they are entitled to expect their MSPs to have something to say about global events. For example, they expect us to express our solidarity with people who—even now, today—are taking to the streets to demand freedom and democracy for their nations, and our outrage that some of them are being killed by their Governments simply for making their voices heard. We talk about Scotland being a strong voice: in other nations when people try to be a strong voice they are put down, and in some cases lose their lives for it.
It is an indication of a sense of maturity in Scotland’s Parliament that we talk about those things. It indicates that we view Scotland as part of the world, not as some strange, isolated land that is hedged around with devolution issues and reserved matters and issues that members dare not speak about in the Parliament. Long may that development continue.
Christina McKelvie eloquently expresses the SNP’s compassion and international outlook in the world. Would she concur with me and welcome something else that the Labour Party has done, which is to distance itself from the repugnant views of Ian Davidson MP, who called the SNP neo-fascists?
Sometimes in the heat of debate people say things that perhaps they do not mean to say. We should give Mr Davidson a taste of our compassion and offer him the opportunity to apologise.
My colleague Aileen McLeod touched on the continuing development that I mentioned in her contribution. I am delighted that she will be a member of the European and External Relations Committee; she brings skill, experience and understanding that we will all lean on in learning about the committee’s work. She is an expert on Europe and I back her call for Scottish ministers to sit in sessions with other EU countries: speaking for Scotland, putting Scotland’s case, fighting Scotland’s corner and making new friends for Scotland throughout Europe. She talked about Scotland being a stronger voice, and that voice got stronger the day that she was elected.
Scotland has a place in the world, and it is a developing place. We used to be a shy nation, and a bit self-conscious about expressing ourselves, but that is fading now and our national self-confidence is growing. You would never have imagined that I was that shy, self-conscious person, but I am growing in confidence every day.
As Hanzala Malik said, we are teaching our school pupils how to look at the world through a Scottish prism and to identify Scotland’s place in the world through self-reference as much as through hearing what others tell us about their place. It would be fantastic if we had the power to see ourselves as others see us, but we should also have enough pride and self-confidence to have a self-view—to see ourselves as we believe ourselves to be. We are doing exactly that; Clare Adamson gave us some eloquent and wonderful examples of it in her contribution.
The cabinet secretary talked about Scotland being a vibrant nation. She talked about music, theatres, dance, arts, science, architecture and everything else that makes us up. Each of those things is a thread of a Scottish tartan, a colourful mix of arts, culture and attitude—that is what makes us bright.
Fiona Hyslop talked about being a citizen of the world. One of the things that the Scottish Government is committed to doing is working with Scottish Water and WaterAid. Clean water is something that we expect, but in other parts of the world, that is not the case. We should be proud that we are committed to that work.
We are moving forward and developing ourselves. We are improving the Parliament, helping Scotland grow and making ourselves a nation rich in international friendships. Scotland is no longer the shy cousin hiding in the corner but it is a blossoming, developing flower.
We have much more to do. A nation is never finished and complete; it is always a work in progress. We have not and will not reach our finishing post, but we will touch milestones along the way. I like the milestones that we have been touching recently and I look forward to the next stages of the journey with a great deal of hope.
We move to closing speeches. I call Jamie McGrigor to close for the Conservatives. You have a very generous six minutes, Mr McGrigor.
16:26
Thank you very much for being so generous, Presiding Officer.
I am pleased to have inherited my party’s spokesmanship on Europe and external affairs from my great old friend Ted Brocklebank. I am sure that others in the chamber will want to wish Ted and his fiancée, Frances, best wishes for their future together, as their wedding will take place next week. That just shows the extra energy that retirement from politics can release—it appears that there is life in the old dog yet.
I congratulate Hanzala Malik on a really inspirational maiden speech. The only thing that I disagreed with was that he said that we were an industrial nation, not an agricultural one—I would like to think that we are both.
My friend Ruth Davidson has dealt very impressively with the cultural aspect of the debate. In my contribution, which will not include a rendition of “Campbeltown Loch” or any other song, I will focus on European issues and then say a few words about Scotland’s role in external affairs and, specifically, our relationship with Malawi.
The forthcoming reform of the common agricultural policy is a vital crossroads for the Scottish agricultural industry and, indeed, the whole rural sector in Scotland. Although I welcome the interventions of the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Rural Development Committee in support of food production, I know that Scottish farmers are still plagued by too much bureaucracy and regulation. It is important that access to agri-environmental schemes helps, rather than hinders, Scottish farmers and crofters. Moreover, we need a fairer EU-wide playing field on the issue of modulation.
Integrating greening measures into a reformed common agricultural policy should make life easier rather than more complicated and it should open up more income streams. The fact that our European cousins have recently seen the value of peatlands as a carbon sink could also be very important to Scotland, given our high proportion of peat-rich soil. Public good and food production should be seen in the same light, in terms of value to our farmers and crofters as well as the welfare of all people throughout the world. Perhaps the cabinet secretary will address that in her closing remarks.
Another area in need of urgent reform is the common fisheries policy, which for decades has beleaguered our once-prosperous fishing communities throughout Scotland. Every job at sea promotes at least four on the land. That is why the industry is so important and why we, along with the UK Government and the Scottish Government, welcome the European Commission’s commitment to devolving competence for fisheries management to member-state Governments. We await with interest the Commission’s legislative proposals on reform, which are due to be published next month. We want an early appraisal from the Scottish industry and the Scottish Government of the proposals’ value for Scotland.
Overall, the coalition Government’s attitude to the EU is sensible and pragmatic. Many members would agree that some decisions that Brussels takes are making people feel increasingly isolated and disconnected from the European decision-making process. That is why David Cameron has pledged that an EU bill will be introduced to give the British people—I am glad to say that that includes us—a greater say in any decisions that the EU takes in their name. The bill will also ensure that any further handover of power from this country to Brussels takes place only with their consent. Any such proposal will be put to a vote, through a national referendum. That referendum will not be delayed for fear of not getting the result that the UK Government wants—unlike the planned referenda of some other politicians who are not a million miles from where I am standing.
All of us can be proud of Scotland’s contribution to external aid and charity. Our strong and historic connections with Malawi, which go back centuries, have been augmented by the work of Scottish individuals, not least former members of the Parliament such as Jack McConnell and Karen Gillon. The former First Minister’s initiative in 2005 of signing a co-operation agreement with Malawi demonstrated the Scottish tendency to help those who are in need. I hope that the current Scottish Government and the minister will continue the good work of Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale—my goodness, that is a mouthful. The minister’s announcement last year that financial support will be provided for 1,000 primary school teachers in Malawi is most welcome.
I pay tribute to my local charity, Mary’s Meals, which is based in Dalmally in Argyll and has recently done so much in Malawi as well as elsewhere.
I, too, congratulate Mary’s Meals. I had the opportunity to speak to the Malawi Government about its desire to extend Mary’s Meals and the principle that it represents to all primary school children in Malawi. From that start in Argyll, an impact has been made on thousands upon thousands of Malawian children.
I thank the minister for that remark. We who live near Dalmally are proud of our local charity and its humble origins. It is an acorn that has become a mighty oak.
Since Scotland conceived the enlightenment, which changed the face of western civilisation, our country has continued as an active international voice. The Parliament is effective in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. I hope that the new executive board that was elected yesterday will continue its good work.
Other bodies, such as the British Council Scotland, provide a forum for international cultural and educational exchange. Over the past year, the council has supported more than 1,000 international activities in 15 per cent of all Scottish schools, as well as giving global study and work opportunities to around 4,000 Scottish and international students. It is vital that the high quality and standards of our learning institutions are not allowed to drop due to financial constraint, because we must never lose Scotland’s reputation for high-quality academia and for being outward looking and inventive.
Scotland has a key role to play in the UK in promoting what is good and fair across the world. We Scots have a wonderful reputation, but we must always remember why we have it. Being part of the UK has helped the Scottish reputation abroad in the past. I hope that it will continue to do so in the future.
16:34
I am not quite sure how to follow Jamie McGrigor’s congratulations to Ted Brocklebank and his fiancée, but I simply say congratulations to them and all the very best for the future. I should probably draw a line under the matter there—except to say that those best wishes are very sincere indeed.
Like Jamie, I, too, congratulate my friend and colleague Hanzala Malik on his maiden speech. Hanzala’s own life straddles two communities in Glasgow, and his interests straddle many more. His political activity follows on from that of his mother, Philomena, and his late father Mohammed, who was a great ambassador for his local community and a great servant of it. It is fair to say that he would be very proud of his son today.
In my opening speech, I could not do justice to all the areas of the debate that we were about to have. Now, I will try to pick up on some of the issues that other members have raised but which I was not able to address.
I say very gently to SNP members that the interest of the Parliament, and indeed previous Governments, in culture and external affairs existed before—it did not just start in 2007. Up until 2007, culture was in fact represented at the Cabinet table, so that is not a new development. A number of the achievements that have been lauded today were not the whole or even the sole responsibility of the past or current Scottish Government.
I will cover this quickly, as I do not wish the nature of the debate to be of the kind that it was veering towards in some speeches, but I seem to remember two things—Creative Scotland and the new relationship with the performing companies—as predating 2007. Similarly, the idea of the year of homecoming was not a new one; it was actually the idea of Jim Wallace, the former Deputy First Minister, and it followed on from the year of Highland culture, which was very successful.
The idea of 2014 being celebrated partly as a year of sport was in the Labour manifesto in 2007, and it is something that I personally urged the Government to adopt on a number of occasions. Needless to say, I was ignored, but I am delighted anyway that we will be celebrating that year in the way that the minister outlined.
Ruth Davidson was correct to say that previous Commonwealth games have normally been accompanied by a cultural festival. Indeed, I was delighted to attend the cultural festival that accompanied the 2006 Commonwealth games in Melbourne. Entry to the festival, which lasted for two weeks and mirrored the timetable of the games, was free to anyone who wanted to go along. I wonder whether, in her closing speech, the minister could advise the Parliament of the developments that are probably already under way for 2014, as it would be interesting to hear them being outlined.
This afternoon’s speeches have been interesting. Jim Eadie was absolutely right, as were Jamie McGrigor and the minister, to focus on the contribution of Mary’s Meals. I am sure that anyone who has had any direct involvement with Mary’s Meals realises how such a small contribution to an individual child can have such a huge effect. As we sit here in the relative comfort of Scotland, we cannot understand it. Only if we actually see it being demonstrated in Malawi, where one mug of porridge at lunch time can make the difference between a child being able to attend or not attend school, can we appreciate how huge an impact a small contribution can have. We have much to thank Mary’s Meals for, given its contribution to Malawi and to the reputation of Scotland as a generous, forward-thinking country.
My colleague Kezia Dugdale correctly highlighted the efforts and the contribution of those who work backstage in our theatres to help us to enjoy the performances that we go to. They are often forgotten, and at a time of cutbacks they are also often the first people who find themselves having to look for other employment.
As an avid reader, I was interested in what Kezia Dugdale said about the crime novels of Edinburgh in particular and Scotland in general. Edinburgh was awarded the accolade of city of literature partly because of its reputation for crime novels, but also because of J K Rowling, Alexander McCall Smith and others. That accolade was awarded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization without any discussion, and it is one of which the city of Edinburgh should be proud.
Aileen McLeod made an interesting speech on the issues around representation in the EU and Europe more generally. Given her political viewpoint, I understand her argument. I do not necessarily subscribe to it—I do not think that she would expect me to—but I mention that, on one occasion when I visited Brussels with a delegation, it was pointed out that the Scottish Government had a little bit to learn. The example that was given to us was the engagement on the part of the Welsh Assembly, which involved Welsh ministers and Assembly members visiting Brussels together to make their contribution and represent a comprehensive view of what the Welsh Assembly and the Welsh Assembly Government thought should be happening. The Scottish Government should think about that and take forward a similar initiative.
Derek Mackay should make no apologies for being parochial—there might be things that he should apologise for, but being parochial is not one of them. However, I do not look forward to taking part in the debate that is bound to take place next year on his motion on the anniversary of the “snail in the bottle” case. I am joking: I studied it at college many years ago and realise how important it is. It would be a fascinating debate to take part in.
I, too, am a fan of Sandy Stoddart. I once had a long, interesting and enjoyable conversation with him about his idea for a statue of Ossian to be carved on one of Scotland’s premier mountains. I did not think that that would be a good issue to take up with Patrick Harvie and his colleagues, and I think that even Mr Stoddart realised that the proposal should be parked for the present.
Jenny Marra is right to say that there is a warmth about Scotland that is reflected around the world. I think that people recognise us as the outgoing, generous country that we are and always have been. That is not necessarily anything new, but it should be remarked upon.
I know that fair trade is of interest and concern to many members. I want Scotland to become a fair-trade nation just as badly as anyone else, but I have always believed that it is the journey to fair-trade nation status that matters. It is the number of cities, towns, colleges, universities, churches and individuals we take with us on that journey that is important, not the accolade itself.
I ask the minister—I am sorry, the cabinet secretary; I apologise for that once again—to say whether the Government has taken on board the points that were raised by the European and External Relations Committee in the previous session about the importance of the Government considering and lobbying for human rights in its dealings with other countries. I know that there was some success in that work with China, which I applaud and appreciate, but it would be helpful to hear a little more about that, because it concerns many members.
This afternoon’s debate has been interesting and comprehensive and has ranged across what is a very broad portfolio. I look forward to debating the issues many more times in the next five years.
16:44
This has been an outstanding debate. I have attended many debates on culture and external affairs in the 20 months for which I have held my post and, if the speeches that I have heard today are anything to go by, the Parliament will have a great opportunity to promote the importance to us of our cultural offering and international reach. A number of contributions have extolled the experience that people have had in Scotland and its influence on their cultural identities and who they are, on where we want to contribute, on where we are internationally and on where we want to be as a nation.
We have spoken of the themes of cultural excellence, vibrant creativity and cutting-edge innovation, for which Scotland has a worldwide reputation. We are a creative nation with a rich heritage that contributes to the world as a modern and dynamic country. Scotland is about the old and the new, the traditional and the contemporary, and the historic and the modern. Scotland is about our magnificent past, our dynamic present, and our journey to a promising and exciting future.
We have heard stories that may be parochial but which I think are very important. They tell us about the shape of Scotland in the past and how that is being interpreted in the present. The passion with which individual members have spoken about their constituencies shows the importance of culture in contributing to tourism and local economies.
I congratulate Hanzala Malik on an excellent first speech. He brought insight and challenge. I liked his phrase about Scotland being “open for business”. It reminded me of William Wallace’s Lübeck letter, in which he told continental Europe at the time that Scotland was open for business. It is a strong message that the Parliament can communicate collectively.
Today’s debate demonstrates the consensus in the chamber about the importance of Scotland’s culture—yes, it faces a number of challenges, and I will come back to the specific points that have been raised. We talked about our creativity and about external affairs. Everyone understands that we are facing challenging times, but that does not stop us being creative; indeed, it makes it more important than ever that we should be creative. That is why we have fought hard to ensure that culture is viewed not as a luxury but as a central component of a successful and vibrant society. That is why we continue to invest in our artists, creative practitioners and cultural institutions to ensure that they thrive and excel, and to ensure that our nation’s great cultural offering is respected and enjoyed around the world.
I want to cover a number of points that members have made. If I do not cover them all, I will try to get back to members later.
I point out to Patricia Ferguson that the Scottish Government, through Historic Scotland, has invested in Maryhill burgh halls and I understand that the investment covers public art. She also talked about Kelvingrove museum. When I first went to the University of Glasgow, I stayed a hop and a skip from the museum and spent many a Sunday there. It has inspired generations and it will continue do to so, whether through the Glasgow boys exhibition, its standing exhibitions or indeed when I took my then 5-year-old to the Dr Who exhibition. It is interesting to note that the Glasgow boys exhibition outsold even the Dr Who exhibition.
Patricia Ferguson also talked about council budgets, which are an issue that we will need to come back to at another time. Obviously, one issue is the integrity and independence of councils in setting their own budgets. Patricia Ferguson was correct in identifying the amount of investment in culture in different areas.
We heard the passion of a former leader of Renfrewshire Council about the importance that Renfrewshire places on its cultural assets. We can be heartened when we hear about other cities and what they do. Joan McAlpine talked about Richard Florida, whom I was pleased to hear speak several years ago when Universities Scotland put on a lecture. His ideas about city regions and the creativity of cities have inspired Edinburgh, for example, for a number of years.
We need to keep a close connection with what is happening with council budgets, but we also have to respect councils’ independence. I politely say to Jenny Marra that I have had the Labour manifesto checked and it does not talk about free music tuition; it talks about free support for primary 5 and primary 6 pupils, supported by the youth music initiative. When councils such as my own, West Lothian, continue to provide free additional support for music tuition outside school, it is important that that is supported. I hope that, along with me, Jenny Marra will try to persuade other councils of the importance of free music tuition.
The minister has amplified my point. Some councils and council leaders are enthusiastic about culture and sport, which is often tagged along with it, but people should not have to rely on the enthusiasm of an individual or some individuals within a local authority. People look to us to level playing field for them.
The member’s point is well made. That is an area on which members can get together to explore collectively. It gets to the nub of a problem with the national outcomes, which is that if we have a separate, significant cultural outcome, we might not treat culture as being embedded in health and wellbeing or crime and justice, with the result that it will become a discrete, extra luxury that it is easier to cut. Should we ensure, therefore, that culture is implicit and embedded in all other areas? I hope that that is a debate that the Education and Culture committee will come back to. I reassure Patricia Ferguson that I support free access to museums.
As regards the Commonwealth games, a number of extensive developments are taking place. For example, I have already agreed to provide investment for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s new building at the Glasgow royal concert hall and for the development of the Theatre Royal. I saw a magnificent Scottish Opera performance involving primary school children in Glasgow in preparation for that development. In talking about her experiences, Ruth Davidson touched on the Commonwealth games, and I would like to come back to the chamber to expand on the developments that are taking place in relation to that. Collectively, we have a great opportunity to showcase what we have to the world.
Jim Eadie made an interesting speech, in which he mentioned tax evasion and brought to our attention the difficulties with international accounting. My perspective and that of the Government is that tax dodging can have a devastating impact on the global economy, as it hits the most vulnerable in developing countries the hardest. We, too, believe that companies should be transparent and accountable when it comes to the tax that they pay in the developing countries in which they operate, and I would be happy to make that point in any discussions that I have with the UK Government or the European Commission.
In a highly thoughtful contribution, Kezia Dugdale talked about crime fiction. I, too, have seen “Dunsinane”, which I thought was a fantastic production. The Edinburgh festivals expo fund has been used by the Edinburgh book festival to take Scottish authors such as Ian Rankin and Eleanor Thom to the international festival of authors in Toronto. That was a case of taking Scottish writers to the wider world. A similar exercise was conducted in India in recent times.
Clare Adamson made an excellent speech, in which she made us think more deeply about our identity as Scots. She talked about Maya Angelou and her love of Burns. Anyone who saw the interview that Maya Angelou gave in Loudon halls, in which she spoke about how Burns had influenced her at a very difficult time in her life, will recognise that it showed that the humanity of Burns reached across not only generation but gender. Imaginatively, Clare Adamson also managed to get “Sex and the City” into a parliamentary speech, which I think is the first time that that has happened.
With their experience in Brussels, Aileen McLeod and Jenny Marra will bring a great European perspective to our debates. I agree that we need to have representation and participation in Europe. In fact, I have represented the UK, not at a formal council, but at an informal council on creative industries, in Barcelona. I managed to explain to sundry ministers from all over Europe that Scotland was home to the fastest-selling entertainment product of all time in “Grand Theft Auto”, which Ruth Davidson mentioned. Our digital companies are extremely important and need to be supported. I have visited Dynamo Games, which Joan McAlpine mentioned. She was right to accentuate the importance of tax and other incentives that other countries offer.
I want to reflect on Hanzala Malik’s call for encouragement to be given to internationalising our economy, particularly for our new companies. Only this week, we had the national economic forum, which involved the First Minister, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth and a range of cabinet secretaries engaging with Scotland’s economic leaders and influencers. The session that I chaired was about internationalising our economy and improving exports. An interesting point that came out of that was that, although other companies in some of our key sectors have more experience in that area, there are smaller companies in burgeoning areas such as the creative industries that are interested in exporting. As Joan McAlpine identified, we need to ensure that we provide more mentoring or other support, and helping them to understand regulation in other countries is part of that. I thank Joan McAlpine for bringing that to our attention.
Derek Mackay was passionate about Renfrewshire. The Renfrewshire renaissance is interesting. I am not sure that Paisley would have been the first place that all of us would have thought of as a tourist destination, but he showed why celebrating our culture and our tourism is so important. I am delighted that the Cluniac conference is coming to Paisley as I attended Paisley abbey when it was first discussed, and of course the Mod is coming to Paisley in 2013.
We have talked about our achievements, but we have also talked about what we want to do in the future. Put simply, we want to ensure that our country is seen as a great place to live, work, study, visit and do business. We have ambitious plans for international activity. We have a global reputation as a place of innovation and imagination, and we have world-class further and higher education. We heard much about what we can do with our young people—for example, from Hanzala Malik—and further and higher education is vital in that regard. As Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, I was delighted to ensure that the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, which is to become the royal conservatoire of Scotland, managed to secure degree status for its dance course. Also important are our drama qualifications and those in other areas.
We have cultural icons and a broad cultural offering. We make a significant impact on the international stage. That creates opportunities for investment, for people to come here, and for us to play our part as citizens of the world and as a modern, dynamic nation.
We continue to punch above our weight on the global stage. Earlier this year, Vice Premier Li of China came to see the innovative and cutting-edge engineering approaches that we are supporting to harness wave and tidal power. We also managed to give him a cultural offering at Edinburgh castle, which reflected some of the interesting associations of Chinese and Scottish music, for example.
We have to ensure that we continue our strategic engagement with a number of countries around the world, from Europe and our near neighbours to North America, China, India and Russia, and also Malawi and Pakistan. In an impassioned speech, Christina McKelvie spoke about the importance of that and discussed why we still want to reach out and have connections with countries such as Malawi. Our interest in other countries reflects our value system as a nation, and even at difficult times we should champion that.
We should also champion our historical and contemporary culture. I talked about the Scottish Ten and, as I speak, we are investigating and developing interpretation of world wonders such as the Rani ki vav step well in India and the eastern Qing tombs in China.
We have big plans for the future. We want to deliver ambitious strategies for our creative industries and our museums and galleries, and we have flagship cultural capital projects such as the V and A in Dundee. However, I appeal to Jenny Marra that doubting the V and A does not help with its fundraising. I appeal to her to join us and other Dundee MSPs to ensure that we all come together to champion what will be a first-class site.
The establishment of a Scottish digital network will help to provide the cultural sector in Scotland with significant creative outlets.
The introduction of the young Scots fund will deliver benefits by harnessing the creativity of our young people.
We will seek to secure a place at the top table for EU meetings.
Presiding Officer, as I reach the end of my extended 20-minute speech, will you tell me how long I have to go?
You have one minute, Ms Hyslop.
I hope that I have reflected the many and various contributions that were made in the debate. I thought that it was a first-class debate. Many people have a lot to say about how we can contribute going forward, and if this afternoon’s debate is anything to go by, Scotland’s reputation in the world and our nurturing of our cultural creativity will be things that we can be proud of in the five years to come.
Thank you for your co-operation with your very long speech, Ms Hyslop.