Chamber and committees

I am afraid that we are not yet finished. I have a few final questions.

The committee has a specific role to play on this matter, but other subject committees of the Parliament will be able to scrutinise certain areas, too. Going back to our discussion on the interparliamentary forum on Brexit, I should say that we have dropped the reference to Brexit from its title, and I also point out that it will be meeting on 10 December. That was an informal arrangement by different legislatures that came about so that they could work together. Does there need to be a more formal position for such for a at the moment? Does guidance on transparency and scrutiny, certainly for select committees across different areas, needs to be more formalised?

I am sorry to interrupt but we are going to the two-minute silence. I have another question for you, so if you could stay with us, that would be helpful. We are pausing now for a two-minute silence. I ask members to stand if they are able.

I do not think that there are any further questions from the committee. I thank you all, Ms Douglas, Mr Thomson and Ms Tollan, for your contributions this morning.

It is worth noting that the arm’s-length external organisations are quite different across the country. I have experience of trying to drill down into such areas, so I know that it can be problematic. Ms Boyack has a final supplementary question.

Mr Ruskell has one small very final question.

That is helpful—thank you. I do not know whether your officials want to say anything on three-year funding.

I have a supplementary question. Mr Robertson, you mentioned the round-table session that we had with smaller cultural organisations. It was a very diverse group of cultural organisations, many of which also work in the wellbeing area of community involvement. One thing that they pointed out was that other funders have been very dynamic in their response to Covid—they have been proactive in contacting organisations and keen to get help out the door. However, many of those cultural organisations feel that they are at a distance from Creative Scotland and do not have the same relationship with it. Will you ask Creative Scotland to reflect on that?

Do members also agree to take consideration of our pre-budget scrutiny report in private at future meetings?

Members indicated agreement.

Item 2 is pre-budget scrutiny of culture sector funding. As part of its pre-budget scrutiny, the committee has been looking at the continuing impact of Covid-19 on the culture sector and its longer-term future. Today, the committee will hear from the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture on the evidence that we have heard over the past month. The cabinet secretary will be joined by David Seers, head of sponsorship and funding, and Bettina Sizeland, deputy director for tourism and major events at the Scottish Government. We hope that the officials will join us at some point this morning.

I invite the cabinet secretary to make an opening statement.

Thank you, cabinet secretary. The programme for government’s three-year funding commitment for core-funded organisations, which you mentioned in your opening remarks, has come through as a theme in all the work that we have done, including our discussion with community organisations. Will you say a little more about your vision in that respect? What difference will it make, and how will it impact on community-based organisations?