Chamber and committees

Good morning, everyone, and a warm welcome to the 27th meeting in 2023 of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee.

Agenda item 1 is a decision on taking business in private. Are members content to consider in private a draft report on how devolution is changing post-European Union exit in this meeting and in future meetings, and to consider in private a draft report on pre-budget scrutiny 2024-25 in future meetings?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you, cabinet secretary. There is a lot of food for thought in all that.

I will open with a general question. As you know, we have just published our report “Culture in Communities: The challenges and opportunities in delivering a place-based approach”. Your latter statements, about wellbeing and the opportunities for wider society through culture, are echoed throughout the report. When it comes to mainstreaming, how have your discussions gone with your Cabinet colleagues, and how will the budget, as set out, support those ambitions this year?

I will bring Mr Ruskell in and then come back to you, Kate, and ask Mr Robertson to take both questions together.

On that note, we have to draw the session to a close.

I thank the cabinet secretary and Penelope Cooper for their attendance.

Thank you very much, cabinet secretary. I will now move to questions from the committee and call Ms Forbes first. She has indicated that she has a number of questions, so if any member has a supplementary, I will bring them in at that point.

Under our next agenda item, we will take evidence as part of our pre-budget scrutiny of culture funding from the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson. He is joined by Penelope Cooper, director of culture and major events at the Scottish Government. I welcome both of you and invite Mr Robertson to make a brief opening statement.

I echo your comments about the Culture Collective, which was a key contributor to our report on culture in communities. I fully support your comments in that regard.

I am conscious of time because we have another agenda item to get through this morning. We will have a final question from Mr Bibby.

I will ask a final question. [Interruption.] Excuse me. Mr Ruskell has questions first.

Will you be able to meet your ambitions for multiyear funding and the changes in the business model that you sought?