Chamber and committees

What is the impact on your future role of that shift and people’s opting out and moving to private sector online streaming services, for example? What will the impact of that be on the BBC? It is hugely important with regard to accessibility. As I mentioned, the viewing habits of younger people, in particular, and perhaps older people as well—not to get into the detail of the licence fee—is an important issue with regard to cost and accessibility.

That was really helpful. In relation to longer-term planning, certain types of cultural performances move around the country, so venues will be thinking about not just this year but the next two years. The point about the public sector needing to think about longer-term funding, whether it be for three years or five years, was very well made, and the committee will reflect on that.

I will ask two questions, one of each witness. The first question follows up on the issue of commissioning the programmes in Scotland. Steve Carson talked a bit about rebooting after coming through the pandemic. You have different types of new projects, such as drama, comedy and factual content. Can you give us the numbers as well as a sense of how you are retaining and increasing employment opportunities not just for actors but for all the staff who are involved in making new content?

Over the years to come, is there scope for increasing the number of new productions in Scotland?

Yes. It would be useful to get a sense of job numbers as well. Maybe you could write to us with those numbers after the meeting.

I have a different question for Leigh Tavaziva, about what the BBC is doing to address the challenges for different types of broadcasting, particularly the important role of public sector broadcasting, given that viewing figures for private online streaming services have rocketed during the pandemic. What consideration are you giving to accessibility and different ways of accessing BBC products? I am thinking of younger and older people in relation to the costs of accessing services through connectivity and broadband. What is being done about that at the UK BBC level?

I have a quick question. It was good to discuss screen production, but I want to talk about live performance. We have lost a lot of incredible talent because of the pandemic. Can we talk about forward planning? The 75th Edinburgh international festival is next year. That is a huge economic issue, not only for Edinburgh but for the wider economy. Can we think about resilience and recovery in the live performance sector? What more can the Scottish Government do to ensure that people and venues in that sector are supported? It must be incredibly difficult for them to plan ahead after the difficulties and uncertainty of the past year.

Those two answers were very useful and help us to think about accountability and what further scrutiny we should do.

I return to my first question to the cabinet secretary about the priorities that you will change in the short term. You are clearly of the view that the system is not working as intended, and there have been big changes as a result of Brexit. I know that you want a different constitutional settlement in the long run, but, to make things work now, so that you—and the other devolved Governments—can get the job done, what is your top priority? I note that the Welsh Government has republished its suggestions on how things need to change. What short-term changes do you want that you think would be of assistance? I think that it would be helpful for the committee to put those to UK ministers itself.

I want to pick up on the comments that you made in your opening remarks about the purpose of devolution, which is to increase decision making and accountability in Scotland as part of the UK. You gave a pretty full critique of how things are working at the moment. Today is the committee’s first chance to talk to you and we are thinking about the next five years. It feels to me as though there are three levels: the ministerial level with joint ministerial relationships; parliamentary accountability and the relationships between different parts of the civil service across the UK; and the local authority level. Your description of the current structures and relationships is not overly positive. What are your short-term suggestions for how we begin to reset those relationships, given that we are at a critical moment?

When we look at common frameworks and think about how we deliver parliamentary accountability on that raft of different frameworks, what changes need to be made? I suspect that there is agreement around the committee table that “noted” is not a full way of engaging with us and letting us know what is being discussed at the most senior levels. Knowing that might help us to think about our questions and what UK ministers we want to have a fuller discussion with as we set out our work for the next five years.

Congratulations on your appointment, Clare. I now hand over to you.

I will take this opportunity to say that I am also one of the vice-presidents of the European Movement in Scotland. That is in the voluntary section of my entry in the register of members’ interests, too. Thanks for that reminder, Patrick.