Part of Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 15 May 2024.
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
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.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
