To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to support galleries. (S6O-04253)

I commend Brian Whittle for his timely question. The Scottish Government is working hard to support galleries, both nationally and locally, which is why we are continuing to provide support to the sector with £2.7 million in funding in 2024-25, increasing to more than £4.2 million in the 2025-26, awarded to Museums Galleries Scotland, which is Scotland’s national museums and galleries development body. The Scottish Government is also set to provide £27.4 million in 2025-26 to the National Galleries of Scotland, which is a 9 per cent increase on its 2024-25 budget allocation.

A few weeks ago, the National Galleries of Scotland reported that it needed substantially more funding. Now, Aberdeen Performing Arts and Dundee Contemporary Arts have both posted losses. What is the Cabinet secretary doing to ensure that more galleries and cultural institutions do not face further hardship?

As I have already outlined, the Scottish Government is doing a lot to deliver support for galleries and the wider culture sector, and I hope that Brian Whittle will vote for that in the budget. I acknowledge there are still challenges that the sector is not yet able to fully manage and also opportunities that it cannot yet make the most of. The Scottish Government is about to be halfway to fulfilling our commitment to increase the annual culture spend by an additional £100 million. I hope that Brian Whittle welcomes that, as it will make a significant difference. I give a commitment that galleries are an important part of the financial and wider considerations as we review culture provision for the years ahead.

It is welcome that, in the Scottish budget, the National Galleries of Scotland will receive a 9 per cent increase to its overall budget, including a capital allocation above what it requested in the last capital spending review. Does the Cabinet secretary agree that the United Kingdom Government needs to give urgent clarity on the future capital budgets of the devolved administrations so that the culture sector and the wider public sector can have more certainty for the future?

I commend Rona Mackay for her question, because she is absolutely right. Understandably, we spend a lot of time talking about revenue budgets and how they impact the culture sector, and perhaps pay too little attention to the capital side of things.

I agree that it would be helpful if the UK Government could provide more certainty around multiyear budgets. I recognise the importance of providing multiyear capital budgets for the wider public sector, including for our national collections, as well as for the third sector, business and other organisations.

In evidence to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, the director general of the National Galleries of Scotland stated that it was not able to afford the upkeep of its estate, putting the public and collections at risk. How will the Cabinet secretary ensure that it is supported in the upkeep of our cultural infrastructure? It is a massive issue for us in Edinburgh.

I very much understand Foysol Choudhury’s question. He is a Lothian MSP and I represent Edinburgh Central, so we know how important the cultural infrastructure in the nation’s capital is.

It is right for us to turn our attention more towards capital financing of the cultural sector. I hope that the member agrees that that would be a very good reason for the UK Government to give greater clarity around multiyear capital funding. If we had greater clarity about that and the appropriate quantum, we would be able to do much more than is currently the case. We have delivered significantly when it comes to revenue funding for the galleries, but we have also made capital provision. I would love to be able to make more. We will continue to work with the galleries to make sure that we can do as much of that as possible in the years ahead.