General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 23 January 2025.
Michelle Thomson
Scottish National Party
To ask the Scottish Government how the additional £34 million allocated to culture and heritage in its draft budget will assist in the preservation of any small, yet key, Scottish heritage sites under threat of closure, such as Kinneil museum in the Falkirk East Constituency. (S6O-04234)
Tom Arthur
Scottish National Party
[ Inaudible .]
Alison Johnstone
Green
Minister, can I check that your card is in the system?
Tom Arthur
Scottish National Party
That was an inauspicious start.
I am saddened to hear about the challenges that Kinneil museum, located in Kinneil estate, which has links with Mary Queen of Scots and the engineer James Watt, faces. I also recognise the challenges that culture and heritage organisations across Scotland face, which is why we continue to support the sector through more than £4.2 million of funding in the draft 2025-26 budget for Museums Galleries Scotland, as well as by allocating more than £74 million to Historic Environment Scotland.
Ultimately, it is for locally elected representatives to make decisions on how best to deliver services in their local communities, which includes the funding of local authority museums.
Michelle Thomson
Scottish National Party
As the Minister notes, this is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization world heritage site. Kinneil museum is currently proposed for closure by Falkirk Council, but volunteers and Friends of Kinneil are keen to find a solution to the museum’s closure later this year. Given the complexities of community asset transfer for heritage sites of that nature, securing the museum’s future will probably require a partnership approach. Will the minister join me in supporting efforts to bring together both national and local stakeholders to explore options to safeguard Kinneil museum’s future?
Tom Arthur
Scottish National Party
I commend the efforts of Friends of Kinneil in trying to secure the future of Kinneil museum, which is an important part of Falkirk’s and Scotland’s heritage. I understand that Museums Galleries Scotland has been in discussions with Falkirk Council on the future of the museum. I urge Falkirk Council to continue those discussions with Museums Galleries Scotland and with key stakeholders, to explore whether there are any ways to secure the future of Kinneil museum.
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.
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
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.
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.
