Part of Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 3 September 2025.
Kate Forbes
Scottish National Party
As a result of the biggest increase in culture funding in the history of the Parliament, Scotland’s festivals have benefited from significant increases in core funding through Creative Scotland’s multiyear funding programme. A third of that funding programme’s recipients run a festival, and a number of them are receiving multiyear funding for the first time.
Last month, we announced the creation of an expanded festivals fund. The application process opened today—Wednesday 3 September. It is administered by Creative Scotland and supports non-profit arts and cultural festivals across Scotland. The £1.8 million fund will provide up to £200,000 in grants per festival in its first year to those that are not already in receipt of festival expo funding.
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.
