Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 15 May 2024.
Alexander Stewart
Conservative
To ask the Scottish Government how it can ensure that the public has confidence in the arts and culture sector. (S6O-03424)
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
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.
Alexander Stewart
Conservative
The new Deputy First Minister recently said:
“The economic choices we make now, this year, will determine whether Scotland reaps the benefits for decades to come or forever laments the missed opportunities.”
However, we are hearing no mention of arts and culture. Will the new Cabinet be one of continuity or will we finally see tangible support for an industry that is worth billions and supports tens of thousands of jobs?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
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.
Neil Bibby
Labour
It is vital that the public have confidence in decisions that affect the arts and culture sector. According to the ministerial code, as a representative of the Edinburgh Central Constituency the Cabinet secretary must recuse himself from decisions that affect the area in order to avoid any conflict of interests. Concerns have been raised about that in recent days.
Given that Edinburgh Central is a hub of cultural activity and the home of the Edinburgh festivals, and given that the cabinet secretary no longer has a deputy culture Minister, will he clarify which minister, in the interests of public confidence, will take on responsibility for those decisions and on what grounds, and what opportunity will there be for members to hold that minister to account?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
Neil Bibby is absolutely right to ask about changes in Government and what they mean for the decision-making process. The good news is that major culture decisions, including decision on our festivals, which are national events, are still the responsibility of the Cabinet secretary for culture—namely, me. If there are day-to-day issues or areas in which there might be grounds for recusal, the Minister who will have responsibility in those cases is the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes.
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.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
