SMITH DEMANDS CROSS PARTY ACTION TO SUPPORT CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

10.50.00am GMT Fri 13th Feb 2009

Liberal Democrat Culture spokesperson and North East Fife MSP Iain Smith has written to the new Culture Minister urging him to convene an urgent cross-party meeting to resolve the uncertainty surrounding the future of Creative Scotland and funding for the arts and creative industries.

In his letter, Mr Smith wrote:

"I begin by congratulating you on your appointment as Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution.

"Further to my correspondence with the previous minister and with the First Minister, I am writing to you to raise concerns about the future of Creative Scotland. On 22nd January the First Ministers confirmed that the Government still believed that the proposed Public Service Reform Bill was the quickest way to establish Creative Scotland.

"You will be aware that this bill has been delayed until at least the end of May. This would mean a further period of confusion and concern regarding the future of Creative Scotland and funding for culture, arts and the creative industries.

"I am very concerned that these delays are causing considerable uncertainty and anxiety within the creative industries. I believe there is a will across the Parliament to resolve these concerns and I asked your predecessor on a number of occasions to convene a cross-party meeting to discuss the best way forward to bring a speedy resolution to this issue. Regrettably she declined each of my requests.

"Can I ask you for your assurance that you will now take speedy action to convene a cross-party meeting to resolve the current uncertainties?"

Ends

Notes to Editors:

In June 2008, the previous Culture Minister's confused and incoherent position and the Minister for Parliamentary Business' failure to grasp the Standing Orders of the Scottish Parliament led to the Creative Scotland Bill falling at Stage One.