I can confirm that I saw the details of the material that was released following an FOI request only yesterday and that I had concerns about it. That is why I immediately asked the chairman and the chief executive of Creative Scotland to meet me this afternoon in the Scottish Parliament, which they did. I asked them to meet me because I knew that there was interest in the matter across the chamber. I have spoken to colleagues in all the political parties this afternoon to let them know that I have asked the chairman and the chief executive to come to answer detailed questions that can be put to them in the committee. No doubt Meghan Gallacher will do exactly that.

I have been given very clear undertakings about the changes that have taken place in Creative Scotland. This is the first example of its kind for a project that has been funded in the way that it has been funded. Creative Scotland agrees with the Government that it is an unacceptable situation, and it has already taken steps to change its processes. I expect the committee to be updated on those steps, and I assure members of Parliament who are not on the committee that the necessary changes in oversight and safeguards, the need for which the member rightly raises, will be shared with all members around the chamber.

I am sure that Creative Scotland has been listening very closely—although some people’s attention has been elsewhere at this particular time—to both the questions that have been posed and the answers that I have given.

The commitment to invest at least £100 million more annually in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29, despite the challenging budget situation, signals our confidence in the Scottish culture sector and is the starting point of a journey of three phases—first to sustain, then to develop, then to innovate.

Through that increased investment, we want to drive up opportunities for participation in creative pursuits, support the production of new works and ensure that Scotland’s cultural output has platforms at home and internationally.

The simple answer is yes. Scottish ministers have written repeatedly to the UK Government raising serious concerns on immigration changes. For example, we invited the Home Office to work with us to deliver our positively received rural visa pilot proposal, which would seek to address labour market shortages and population challenges in rural and island communities. However, the UK Government rejected the proposal, despite its strong stakeholder support.

Immigration is a cross-cutting policy that has a significant impact on areas of devolved responsibility. Scotland should be able to attract talented and committed people from across the world to work and study here without excessive barriers.

Liam Kerr understands enough about the budget process to know that £15.8 million has already been identified and committed to in the current budget and that £25 million has been committed to in the next financial year. I see that he is taking notes, so he will probably be able to work out that that leaves about another £60 million. This is an aggregate increase, so there will be a rise and then the £100 million rise in culture funding will be sustained annually. It is a very considerable increase.

I appreciate that Liam Kerr and other colleagues wish the funding to ramp up as quickly as possible, and it is no secret that I do, too. If he and colleagues across the chamber want to highlight areas that need funding to help the sector to recover, especially from what has happened since Covid, I assure them that such issues are at the forefront of my mind. If he would like to raise with me the cases of particular venues, organisations or parts of the culture and arts sector, my door is open to him and to all other colleagues.

Our digital tools for the diaspora are available on the website www.scotland.org to help people and organisations around the world, including in Rutherglen, to join our Scottish connections community. Through our online registration service, anyone can register as a member of Scotland’s international community to receive regular communications on news from Scotland or activity that is happening locally. Whether individuals are part of our heritage diaspora, want to connect with Scottish business or education, or want to hear more about our arts and culture, our community directory brings together Scottish organisations and groups into one handy list.

The Scottish Government recognises that the United Kingdom Government’s decision to leave the European Union has had profoundly negative consequences for musicians in Scotland. It is particularly regrettable that younger and less well-established musicians are likely to have been more severely affected. Touring in Europe is now far more difficult, given the need for costly visas and work permits, and the customs restrictions. Stakeholders have indicated that younger musicians who may be at the start of their career might find those barriers harder to overcome due to their being less well established and experienced, with fewer resources.

The loss of access to the creative Europe programme has also had a major impact. The programme played a vital role in facilitating international cultural collaboration, helping young artists to develop cross-border networks, share knowledge and learn from their peers. The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to rejoin creative Europe.

That is exactly what the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland are trying to do. We are trying to ensure that, where there is financial distress, there are interventions in place to enable venues and organisations to continue to trade and to turn around their circumstances. A significant number of interventions have done just that, and I put on record my appreciation of colleagues in the culture directorate of the Scottish Government, in Creative Scotland and in Screen Scotland who have ensured that well-known and loved events will continue into the future.

However, we need to think in the medium and long term instead of dealing only with the immediate crisis. We need to make sure that multiyear funding—which I think everyone supports—is rolled out successfully and that the increase of funding that this Government has committed to and is delivering, in contrast to both the UK Government in England—

I would very much hope that, if there were to be a change of Government at the next UK general election, the incoming Government would look very quickly at U-turning on the rejection of the European Commission’s proposal for a mobility scheme. That would be very welcome. It would also be very welcome if the Liberal Democrats were to use their voice to speak in support of the European Commission’s proposal, which was eminently sensible.

In addition, anything that we can do to change people’s minds about schemes such as creative Europe and, for that matter, Erasmus+ would be key. Where parties can work together across the chamber to support youth mobility and to support the creative sector through the likes of creative Europe, we should all embrace that opportunity.

It is only fair to acknowledge that, when a new system of funding is introduced, the organisations and venues that receive funding are often delighted. One hears a lot less about that than one hears about venues or organisations that have not been successful in the bidding process.

I agree absolutely with Rhoda Grant that we need to understand how transitional arrangements can best be made to ensure that organisations do not face a cliff edge, as she has identified. That is very much part of my thinking. If she and her colleagues on her party’s front bench have ideas about the optimal mechanism for making sure that that happens—obviously we will learn about multiyear funding in the second phase, later this year—I would be really interested in hearing any specific suggestions.