On the generality of the point that Liz Smith has raised, it is excellent to highlight that there are ways in which school groups can take part in particular events. I did not have advance notice of the question, so Liz Smith will forgive me for not having a detailed answer to it. However, I agree with her in general terms and I undertake to look specifically at the point that she has raised and get back to her. If there is any way in which we can amplify awareness of funds that support schools and pupils to attend such important events, I wish the Scottish Government to be supportive of that.

I have discussed that issue in detail with the Music Venue Trust. The member probably met delegates from MVT when they were here last week, when they were also attending the Wide Days music showcase in Edinburgh.

As the member knows, a number of models are being proposed. I raised the issue directly with the UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport because, as I think Mark Ruskell understands, not all of that falls within our devolved powers. As I have said to him, I am very interested in learning about deliverable and workable ways in which extra funding can be leveraged into the culture and arts sector.

In summary, it is a work in progress and I very much hope that the UK Government is listening to us and to the Music Venue Trust.

I thank Meghan Gallacher for asking that question, which is perhaps a preview of the conversation that we are going to have and that I very much look forward to. These challenges are issues that I discussed with the Music Venue Trust only a few weeks ago, and we are very aware of the fact that a significant number of venues have been suffering distress. It is also the case that, in some parts of the country, local authorities are no longer supporting local venues. Therefore, we will need to work together—parliamentarians, colleagues in local government, the Scottish Government and our arm’s-length funding organisations—to maintain the infrastructure of venues right across the country.

I undertake to look at the example that Meghan Gallacher has raised so that I have more information at my fingertips to discuss when we meet shortly. That is a very good example of areas where we can work constructively together.

As I have said already to Foysol Choudhury and other colleagues on the Labour benches, we are engaged in a dialogue with festivals. We are discussing their funding and how they can emerge from the current financial distress in the sector. I regularly—weekly—talk with colleagues in the festival sector. Across the chamber, we are all committed to ensuring that our major cultural events are sustainable. I am sure that he will join me in welcoming the record number of participants in the Edinburgh festival fringe this year.

There is a lot of good news that we should be highlighting. At the same time, we recognise that, where there is financial distress, we need to do everything that we can to ensure that our festivals, venues and cultural organisations are able not only to survive but to thrive in the years to come.

We are increasing funding for the culture sector in this financial year by £15.8 million to £196.6 million, which is the first step on the route to investing at least £100 million more annually in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29. In 2025-26, we aim to provide an additional £25 million for the culture sector.

I have highlighted to the finance secretary on a number of occasions—and, more recently, to the new First Minister and Deputy First Minister—the importance of additional funding for the culture sector. As is the normal procedure, the Scottish budget for 2025-26 will be published later in the year.

Scotland embraces opportunities to strengthen its international relationships by better engaging with our diaspora. We believe that it can benefit us economically and culturally and can improve Scotland’s influence and reputation.

In 2023, we published the “Scottish Connections Framework”, which sets out our cross-cutting approach to strengthening relationships with Scotland’s international groups and developing digital resources to help people join our Scottish connections community.

This year, we aim to establish an external advisory panel and launch the second round of the Scottish connections fund, as we continue building relationships globally through our international offices, Scottish Development International, GlobalScot’s trade and investment envoys, and public bodies.

Sarah Boyack has identified both the challenge and the opportunity as we ramp up culture spending. Cultural organisations know how to get in touch with Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government, and they do so regularly, including to deal with the financial distress that is experienced by the venues that Sarah Boyack has mentioned and others that are not in the public realm. I assure her that the Scottish Government and arm’s-length organisations such as Creative Scotland take such distress extremely seriously, and we are trying to ensure that there are the financial means to deal with that.

I know that Sarah Boyack is committed to the culture sector, and she can meet me at any stage to discuss at greater length any priorities that she has identified or to give early warning about venues or organisations to ensure that they can get through difficulties, because—I assure her—we are seized of the need to address such issues in Edinburgh and throughout the rest of Scotland.

As I said a moment ago in response to Ms Boyack’s question, we are increasing funding to the culture sector in this financial year by £15.8 million to £196.6 million, which is the first step on the route to investing at least £100 million more annually in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29. I think that there is support for that across the chamber.

I will continue to hold discussions with ministerial colleagues about how best to support the culture sector to deliver on our programme for government and culture strategy commitments on engaging across the Government to harness the transformational power of culture.

As I have said repeatedly in the chamber, if any member has views on particular areas that need support and feels that the situation has not been well understood by the Government or funding organisations, I make the offer that I made to Sarah Boyack. I give that undertaking to Liam Kerr, too—perhaps he has an example that he wishes to share now.

—and the Labour Government in Wales—

Alexander Stewart has been here for the entirety of portfolio questions, so he will have heard me repeatedly underlining the Scottish Government’s commitment—it is held across Government, including by the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister—to increasing culture funding, while it is being cut by the United Kingdom Government in England and by the Labour Government in Wales. We are absolutely committed to supporting our culture and arts sector.

At the same time—Alexander Stewart is highlighting economic success—we should not omit to mention awareness of some fantastic stories. For example, the screen sector has already reached the stage of providing to the Scottish economy annual gross value added of more than £600 million. By 2030, the figure will be £1 billion. There are some really good news stories about things that are having a major economic impact. We want to support the screen sector and the rest of the culture and arts sector to succeed, so I hope that the member will support us in those endeavours.