I confirm that I met with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities only yesterday to discuss national and local Government co-operation on culture in general and libraries in particular. The Scottish Government values library provision but greatly respects the decision-making responsibilities of local government. Nonetheless, we hope that providing additional resources for local government and for culture in the budget will provide an opportunity to protect and enhance library provision.

I remain open-minded about issues around statutory obligation, and if Mark Ruskell wishes to make that case to me, I will look closely at it.

No doubt, that will form part of Alexander Stewart’s submission to the review that is being undertaken of Creative Scotland and considerations for the wider creative sector. He identifies an important question. As we fund, and launch multi-annual funding for, so much of the creative arts sector, that raises knock-on questions about the way in which the rest of our cultural ecosystem is supported. That is one reason why the review is being undertaken.

We have all been asked to contribute to the review. Dame Sue Bruce has asked for submissions to be made, and I encourage Alexander Stewart to contribute. In looking at this issue closely, the member is definitely asking the right question, and I would be interested to read his submission. I commend taking part in the review to MSPs of all parties who have views on the culture and arts sector, so that we can chart the next stage in supporting and promoting Scotland’s culture and arts.

The Scottish Government delivers support for the historic environment through our sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland, which is the lead public body responsible for the historic environment. HES works alongside key intermediary organisations such as the Development Trusts Association Scotland, regional economic development agencies and local authorities to support community ownership or development of heritage assets. HES also works directly with community groups to advise on opportunities and risks in asset transfer; skills and material provision in conservation projects; business development; and heritage planning. HES also publishes on its website online resources for communities to provide help and advice.

I very much welcome the work that has been undertaken. I would be delighted to hear from the development trust about whether there is anything that the Scottish Government or our agencies can do to help to speed up and deliver the project that Liam McArthur has outlined. I would welcome getting as much insight as possible into the project. Through his good offices, I ask Mr McArthur to pass on my best wishes to everybody who is involved in it. It would be useful for MSPs right across the chamber to learn from good examples in other parts of the country.

My colleagues and I are aware of and concerned by proposed library closures in Mid Scotland and Fife. If the Parliament supports the Scottish Government budget, local authorities will receive record funding of £15 billion in 2025-26, which is a real-terms increase of 4.7 per cent, increasing funding for local priorities. Although it is for locally elected councillors to manage their day-to-day business and decision-making processes, any decision on public libraries must be considered extremely carefully, and local authorities should continue to work in partnership with communities to ensure that services are based on local needs.

I commend Brian Whittle for his timely question. The Scottish Government is working hard to support galleries, both nationally and locally, which is why we are continuing to provide support to the sector with £2.7 million in funding in 2024-25, increasing to more than £4.2 million in the 2025-26, awarded to Museums Galleries Scotland, which is Scotland’s national museums and galleries development body. The Scottish Government is also set to provide £27.4 million in 2025-26 to the National Galleries of Scotland, which is a 9 per cent increase on its 2024-25 budget allocation.

I thank colleagues for their contributions to today’s debate. It is crystal clear that, in the five years since Brexit, the time that we have spent outside the European Union has damaged our economy, weakened civic society, degraded opportunities for our young people and worsened the cost of living crisis for us all. It has been five long years of pain.

Although the proposed reset that is being sought by the UK Government could offer progress in some areas—we will, of course, engage positively with that—in reality, any gains that the process can make will do little to redress the fundamental challenges that we face while we remain outside the single market and the customs union.

The single European market numbers 447 million consumers and 23 million companies, and is the largest free-trading area on earth. By population, it is seven times the size of the United Kingdom. It is small wonder, in that case, that despite our having not voted in favour of such folly, we have suffered the dire consequences that colleagues have eloquently attested to in today’s debate.

Let us consider the facts. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimates that, in 2023, there was a 2.5 per cent hit to UK gross domestic product because of Brexit, and that it will increase to 5.7 per cent by 2035. In Scotland, that equated to a cut in public revenues of about £2.3 billion in 2023. This month, the Institute for Public Policy Research think tank reported that UK goods exports to the European Union were 27 per cent lower between 2021 and 2023 than they would have been had we remained in the European Union. While other G7 countries saw an average 5 per cent increase in goods being exported in 2023 compared to 2019, the UK experienced a 10 per cent decline. We should add to that the Office for Budget Responsibility’s view that UK trade intensity with the European Union will be 15 per cent lower in the long run.

Later this week, the Scottish Government will publish fresh analysis of the trade impact of the Tory Brexit deal—which is, sadly, being continued by Labour—compared with European Union membership. The evidence is now legion and it is undeniable. The economic impact of Brexit is nothing short of an egregious act of self-harm by the United Kingdom, and a deeply damaging imposition on Scotland, without counting the cost of what we have lost in social and cultural terms.

The loss of access to the Erasmus+ programme is particularly damaging. A generation of Scots will be denied the life-enhancing opportunities of living or working in the European nations that are on our doorstep. The loss of access to creative Europe is similarly damaging to the culture sector. It does not have to be that way.

I turn to some points that have been raised during the debate. Clare Adamson highlighted the harm to the culture sector and to so many others. It does not need to be that way.

Tim Eagle mentioned the “untold benefits” of Brexit. He did not, however, tell us any benefits of Brexit, so he was right—they are untold. Perhaps in the next debate, he might choose to tell us what they are.

George Adam talked about Scotland’s proper place being back in the European Union as an independent member state. He is absolutely right that the 27 other European nations are not wrong.

Mystifyingly, Foysol Choudhury said that we should not reopen the Brexit debate. Why should we not talk about that self-harm? Why should we not end the self-harm? I have to say to him—as somebody who represents this part of the world, as I do—that this part of the country, where 74.4 per cent voted to remain in the European Union, is the most pro-European part of Scotland, but he thinks that we should not reopen the Brexit debate. I am sorry to say it, but on that count, he is very wrong.

Finally, I come to Christine Grahame. What a strong voice talking about Scotland’s strong position of being able to rejoin the European Union. The choice is ours. We live in a democracy and we should be able to have that say.

Until such time as we rejoin the European Union as an independent country, we must encourage the UK Government to be ambitious in its efforts to improve relations with the EU. Last week, Maroš Šefcovic, the EU trade commissioner, indicated that the UK might be able to join the pan-Euro-Mediterranean convention, which allows for a measure of tariff-free trade of goods between a range of European and other countries. My message to the UK Government on that and, indeed, on other areas including youth mobility, is to take the time to consider their merits and potential economic and other benefits, not to rush to rule things out for political purposes and certainly not to pander to the likes of Nigel Farage.

Both those issues, and many more, are of interest to people right across Scotland. I will continue to make sure that the UK Government understands why a closer relationship with the EU remains such an important priority for Scotland until such time as we rejoin, as an independent member state of the European Union.

I thank David Torrance for providing the opportunity to welcome the European Showmen’s Union to Scotland for this year’s congress and to thank it personally for choosing to meet in my Edinburgh Central constituency—it is very welcome.

As we have heard, we all have fond memories of going to the fair, or the shows, with our families and friends when we were young—or, indeed, not so young. That is a testament to how travelling shows and fairs have consistently, throughout the years, brought people together to have fun and share enjoyable experiences.

We acknowledge the strong and valuable tradition of family and community—we have heard about the importance of family during the debate—that showpeople foster and the great contribution that they make to local economies and the wellbeing of people in the areas to which they travel. That has been echoed by members across the chamber. For the benefit of our visitors today, I say that it is not often that we agree across all the parties in the Parliament, and it is good that our visitors have been able to hear that today.

To start off, I have a confession to make to David Torrance. My first memory of attending a show was one in Burntisland, in his constituency, and it remains with me to this day. I was able to experience that joy again over the Christmas break with my five-year-old and three-year-old daughters—I am a late father. They loved going to the funfair rides in central Edinburgh. I have to confess that it became quite expensive by the end of the visit, but that speaks to the impact that funfairs have on us all. I thank the showmen and their colleagues for all the events that we have attended over the years.

I commend David Torrance for his work on the cross-party group. As John Mason mentioned, the cross-party groups are very important. David Torrance has established, through his good offices, a working relationship among the guild, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Government on a variety of issues. Points have been raised about local government charging, which I will come to in a second. No doubt, progress can be made there, and I would be very supportive of that.

We also heard from Clare Adamson, another member of the cross-party group as well as the convener of the parliamentary committee that covers culture and external affairs, which are in my area of governmental responsibility. Quite rightly, she stressed the connections with and traditions of European showmen. It is nice to see friends from across Europe coming to Scotland, a country that is, of course, also European.

When Jackson Carlaw spoke of his amusing memories, I was struck by the notion of him arriving here with a big red baseball cap saying “Make Showmen Great Again”. I look forward to seeing that. I am also interested in his notion that I should adopt the practices of the new President of the United States of America by simply signing executive orders. That is not the way that we do things here, but, having said that, there are ways to fix problems. We are often told by colleagues across the Parliament that we must respect local democracy, but maybe there is more that we can do in conjunction with local authority colleagues to ensure consistency across local authorities in Scotland.

Paul Sweeney could not miss the opportunity to underline Glasgow’s pedigree, reminding our friends from Europe that we might be a small country but, boy, do we have a rivalry between our two biggest cities. It was worth putting on the record Glasgow’s pedigree in this important year for the city.

Foysol Choudhury, John Mason, Meghan Gallacher and Christine Grahame all underlined the main point that we are in agreement across the parties about the importance of what we have been discussing today. Richard Lyle did not take part in the debate, as he is no longer an MSP, but it is great to see him and to put on the record the Scottish Government’s appreciation for all the work that he did as an MSP and that he continues to do today.

I will take this opportunity to briefly reflect on, celebrate and welcome the notion of different cultures, which ran through the debate. The Scottish Government is committed to improving circumstances for people who travel as part of their occupation, lifestyle and culture. Scotland should be welcoming and inclusive to all people who live, work and visit here, and we are determined to play our part in building a better and fairer world.

Looking further afield from Scotland, I will reflect on the work of the European Showmen’s Union. As members have been made aware, it has been built on solid traditions since it was founded, in 1954, and the fact that it is holding its 43rd national congress demonstrates the legacy and resilience of the showpeople community. The union is one of the oldest European professional organisations, and I recognise the rich cultural heritage that showpeople have brought to societies across Europe. That heritage is rooted in centuries of tradition, with showpeople having contributed significantly to the historical landscape of entertainment during that time.

That is why I am pleased to welcome the European Showmen’s Union to Edinburgh this year for its first international meeting in this country. That provides the opportunity not only to showcase some of our rich heritage but to spotlight the contribution that Scotland’s showpeople community has made locally and internationally. We must continue to support showpeople communities as they build on the cultural traditions of bringing entertainment and other services to rural, coastal and urban communities across Scotland.

Foysol Choudhury underlined the point about intangible cultural heritage, and the Scottish Showmen’s Guild understandably has a strong interest in that issue, which I welcome. There is incredible potential from the inclusivity that intangible cultural heritage provides. By valuing one another’s traditions, cultures, stories and songs, we all have much to gain. We can also benefit from the international nature of intangible cultural heritage and the prospects that it highlights for Scotland on the world stage, so it is important that Scotland joins global networks to promote and safeguard local cultural practices. That is why the Government remains committed to supporting our communities in ensuring that intangible cultural heritage is accessible to everyone across Scotland.

Following the United Kingdom Government’s ratification, finally, of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, work is being undertaken to plan for a new Scottish inventory, which will sit alongside the new lists for Northern Ireland, Wales and England to form a wider UK database of intangible cultural heritage. I look forward to continuing work with the UK Government and other devolved nations to ensure that the importance of intangible cultural heritage is recognised, cherished and allowed to flourish.

Again, I thank David Torrance for securing the debate and other members for their support in ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for showmanship. I thank the Scottish Showmen’s Guild for its dedicated approach and commitment to supporting its members in ensuring that travelling shows continue to provide entertainment across Scotland and that they are run safely for workers and visitors alike. I also thank the members of the European Showmen’s Union who are in the public gallery. I hope that they will continue to make significant contributions to their and our societies for generations to come, and I wish them all a successful congress and an enjoyable time in Edinburgh. Haste ye back.

I am getting to that. Notwithstanding the fact that Creative Scotland is an arm’s-length organisation, it has been working with the Scottish Government to explain the process that it is engaged in, what financial quantum would be required for multiyear funding to be introduced and the range of organisations that could and would be financially supported as part of that change. The process has been made clear to the Scottish Government, but we are not involved in Creative Scotland’s operational decisions around that process.

As I think that the member is aware, organisations have applied for multiyear funding. Creative Scotland knows who they are, how many of them there are and how much support they want to receive. The Scottish Government has been involved in the conversation, because we support the introduction of multiyear funding and we want to work with Creative Scotland to make sure that the process works well. We want the funding model for regularly funded organisations to be broader and deeper with regard to the number of organisations that are supported—that would mean significantly more organisations being supported—and the scale of funding than is currently the case.

That is why I do not recognise the characterisation by others of the funding as being spread so thinly. However, we are now getting into the territory of recommendations that I have not seen, which the board of Creative Scotland will consider later in the month, and the announcement that it is yet to make. I will be looking closely at that announcement—along with, no doubt, Mr Kerr and everybody else—in order to be satisfied that the process is as foundational and transformational as I hope and believe it will be.

No, I do not accept that. I suspect that we will come back to the issue when we actually have the facts before us rather than supposition.