Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 17 September 2025.
Murdo Fraser
Conservative
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of its position on making all future funding for arts organisations conditional on the applicant’s commitment to protecting freedom of expression. (S6O-04935)
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
As Mr Fraser knows, I have spoken out loudly in favour of freedom of speech. I thank him for the opportunity to do so again today.
He will also be well aware of my defence of the arm’s-length relationship between ministers and individual funding decisions for culture and the arts, which really matters for anyone who appreciates the importance of artistic freedom. I acknowledge that such an approach will occasionally be tested, but I value principles and proportionality, given that everybody operates subject to the law.
Murdo Fraser
Conservative
It is a bit of a cop-out to kick all of that over to Creative Scotland, given that the Scottish Government has just told Scottish Enterprise, which is another arm’s-length organisation, that it needs to revisit its support for defence contractors because, for example, it might have products that end up with Israel’s armed forces. If the Scottish Government can do that with one arm’s-length body, why can it not do so with another?
Will the Cabinet secretary therefore make it very clear to Creative Scotland that its grants should be conditional on its recipients upholding free speech so that we do not see any more nonsense such as his colleague the Deputy First Minister being potentially banned from an arts venue that receives taxpayers’ funds?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
I gently point out to Mr Fraser that there is a tension between standing up and avowing freedom of speech while, at the same time, asking Government ministers to micromanage culture. That is not the Cabinet secretary for culture’s job. However, I am not walking away from my responsibility to use my voice and say that we want to support a culture of free speech.
I know about the venue that Mr Fraser talked about, because it is in my Constituency. I observe that Summerhall management has publicly asserted that Kate Forbes is free to attend the venue.
On the general issue, it is absolutely right that we stand up for freedom of speech, but we also want to protect the arm’s-length nature of management in culture and the arts. It is not for Government ministers to get involved in micromanaging individual circumstances, but the general point holds true: freedom of speech matters.
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