Chamber and committees

Information on entrants to Scottish universities and colleges from deprived areas is published by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) in the annual ‘Report on Widening Access’ statistics publication.

It provides the proportion of undergraduate entrants to Higher Education at either college or university. 2021-22 data will be published in Spring 2023.

While the BBC is operationally and editorially independent, the Scottish Government recognises and shares the music sector’s disappointment with the decision to decommission some cultural music programming on Radio Scotland.

We acknowledge the challenging financial position the BBC is in, which has been exacerbated by the UK Government’s decision to freeze the licence fee, and shift responsibility for funding free licences for over-75s onto the BBC’s shoulders.

However, any reduction in the breadth of BBC Scotland’s offering, including its cultural music content, is a matter of concern. Certain musical forms, such as piping or jazz, are not traditionally thought of as mainstream musical offerings so the BBC coverage is essential to ensure people are able to access them.

It’s important that the BBC listens to these concerns. We engage with BBC Scotland on a regular basis, and will continue to do so, to ensure that the music sector’s concerns are fully recognised. We will also continue to press the BBC to deliver on its commitments to commission high-quality, distinctive Scottish output for audiences.

The Scottish Government does not have an art collection. A number of artworks are owned by Scottish Government, the majority have been gifted to Ministers over time. Approximately 100 art works, prints and maps of varying individual values with an overall insurance value of approximately £62,000. This valuation excludes the portrait of the Earl of Bute on loan to National Gallery of Scotland.

Some of the significant artworks owned by Scottish Government are.

• Ramsay original John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, 1713 - 1792. Prime Minister on loan to National Gallery of Scotland £2.2million on loan to National Gallery of Scotland
• Bellany original un-named artwork showing unidentified fishing boat. On display in Bute House
• Bellany original artwork fishing scene, normally on display in Victoria Quay conference room, temporarily in storage due to building maintenance works
• An original tapestry by Jo Barker on display in Victoria Quay reception
• Watershed by Will Maclean on display in Victoria Quay ground floor rotunda
• Female Face by Jenna Davidson in designated St Andrew’s House storage room
• I Went Fishing by Karen Bauld in designated St Andrew’s House storage room

Scottish Government buildings also have a series of lower value originals, prints and maps on display. This includes a small number of prints and artworks gifted to Ministers over time.

The Scottish Government recognises and shares the music sector’s concern with the decision to reduce the breadth of cultural music programming on Radio Scotland. Certain musical forms, such as piping or jazz, are not traditionally thought of as mainstream musical offerings and it is essential that the BBC listens to the concerns of the music sector so that audiences are able to continue to enjoy pipe and jazz music on BBC Radio Scotland.

The Scottish Government maintains its strong commitment to young and establishing musicians, including through its long-standing investment of over £140m since 2007 in the Youth Music Initiative. This helps young people across Scotland to access music-making opportunities, and supports them to go on to careers in the music industry.

The Scottish Government will continue to press the BBC to deliver on its commitments to commission high-quality, distinctive Scottish output, including in relation to music.

Most SG owned artwork is on display in Government buildings, with access limited to SG staff and contractors and accompanied visitors. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14450 on 9 February 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

There are no plans to purchase artwork in 2023.

Scottish Government does not have an art collection and SG records show there have been no purchase of original artwork by SG since 2007.

We know that deprivation is a significant driver of excess mortality and reduced life expectancy. Reducing poverty and inequality therefore sits at the heart of our investment across all portfolios and remains the best way of improving life expectancy.

Increasing life expectancy across Scotland remains a clear ambition for this Government and we are using all the powers and resources available to us to create a fairer Scotland. We are doing that by ensuring health services are accessible to all, committing £19bn to public services over the next year; committing £4 billion in social security and welfare payments over the next financial year; and extending the Scottish Child Payment to families with eligible under 16s – by increasing it to £25 per week per child.

Furthermore, our Care and Wellbeing Portfolio, as the principle strategic reform vehicle in Health and Social Care, is being designed to promote a ‘health in all policies’ approach in order to strengthen cross-government collaboration on key and critical issues that contribute to the goal of reducing inequalities and increasing life expectancy.

The following table sets out the number of Architecture and Design Scotland staff, broken down by pay banding, permanent staff, fixed term appointments (FTA) and full time equivalent (FTE).

There has been one occasion in which the landowner has failed to respond to a formal request under section 10(2) of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 to cull deer.

This is in relation to the recent NatureScot intervention in Loch Choire, where the landowner has failed to respond to Section 10(2), resulting in NatureScot staff undertaking culling on the property under Section 10(4) authorisation. NatureScot are currently determining next steps in relation to the use of statutory powers.