Chamber and committees

Arrangements to appoint a successor to Edwin Morgan are currently being finalised. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37491 on 24 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Discussions are ongoing to agree a new process for appointing the next Scots Makar. An announcement will be made once the process has been finalised.

Our consistent focus has been on the need to increase Gaelic speaker numbers in order to ensure a secure future for Gaelic in Scotland. In order to make progress with this aim we asked B²rd na G idhlig to prepare an action plan that places the emphasis clearly on initiatives that have the potential to increase the numbers of speakers. The commitments in that action plan are now being delivered.

The Scottish Government has frequently raised the availability of BBC Alba on Freeview in meetings with BBC Scotland and the BBC Trust since May 2007. In particular, the Scottish Government has formally made clear its view that BBC Alba should be available on Freeview in the following meetings and pieces of correspondence:

A letter from the First Minister to Sir Michael Lyons, the Chair of the BBC Trust, on 28 October 2010;

A letter from me to Sir Michael Lyons on 16 April 2010, following the BBC Trust''s announcement that it would delay taking a decision on whether to place BBC Alba on Freeview until later in 2010;

A letter from me to Sir Michael Lyons on 16 February 2010, following the Parliamentary debate on BBC Alba on 11 February 2010;

The Scottish Government''s response to the BBC Trust''s consultation on whether BBC Alba should be placed on Freeview. This response, which was issued on 14 January 2010, can be found on the Scottish Government''s website at:

http://scotland.gov.uk/Topics/ArtsCultureSport/arts/Broadcasting/Broadcasting

A letter from the First Minister to Sir Michael Lyons, the Chair of the BBC Trust, on 17 December 2008.

Meetings with BBC Scotland where the availability of BBC Alba on Freeview has been raised include my meeting with Ken MacQuarrie, Controller of BBC Scotland, on 26 January 2010 and the then Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, Michael Russell MSP''s, meeting with Ken MacQuarrie on 16 March 2009.

While Scottish Ministers believe that the tax system should include tax breaks and incentives for artists, that is a matter for the UK Government. The range of types of financial support that Creative Scotland might introduce in the future for artists and creative practitioners is a matter for Creative Scotland and should be addressed to its chief executive.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken research into film tax incentives. In April 2009, the then Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, Michael Russell MSP, visited Canada where he met with the Mayor of Toronto, Ontario''s Minister for Culture and various officials. During these meetings he discussed the range of tax incentive schemes that operate successfully in Canada.

This administration has established strong and productive relations with key European Commissioners and their services. The Scottish Government''s Action Plan on European Engagement and Annual Report (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/International-Relations/Europe/EuropeanStrategy) set out the progress Scottish Government has made and the real outcomes of engagement.

Since May 2007 the First Minister, cabinet secretaries and ministers have held frequent meetings with European Commissioners and MEPs in Brussels and in Scotland. As an indication of the level of engagement in the last 12 months, Ministerial attendance at EU Council of Ministers and meetings with commissioners are as follows. Discussions have focussed on issues of particular importance to Scotland, including the priorities set out in the European Action Plan.

Scottish ministers taking part in EU Council meetings:

Scottish ministers attended eight AgriFish, four Environment, two Justice and Home Affairs and two Education, Youth and Culture (EYC) Councils. I led the UK delegation at the informal Culture Council on 30 to 31 March 2010 and the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning used Gaelic for the first time ever in the EU institutions at the EYC Council in May 2010. This marked the Scottish Government''s achievement of obtaining co-official status in the EU for the Gaelic language.

Scottish ministers engaging with EU Commissioners:

November 2010: The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment intends to meet Commissioner Dalli (Health and Consumer Policy) during his visit on 19 November 2010.

September 2010: Commissioners Damanaki and Hahn (Maritime and Regional Policy respectively) were both in Scotland to attend the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) meeting in Aberdeen. The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change met the commissioners to discuss current issues including fisheries, structural funds and cohesion. I met Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Androulla Vassiliou to discuss the follow up to the Culture and Creative Industries green paper and the new Youth on the Move initiative. I also met Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva to discuss EU coordination of crisis response.

September 2010: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth had discussions in Brussels with Michel Barnier, Internal Market and Services Commissioner.

June 2010: The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment had discussions in Edinburgh with Dacian Ciolos, Agriculture Commissioner.

March 2010: The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, had discussions in Brussels with Maria Damanaki, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Commissioner.

December 2009: The First Minister and I had discussions with Commission President Barroso and with Andris Piebalgs, Energy Commissioner, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, Flemish Minister-President Kris Peeters and Commissioner Kroes.

November 2009: The First Minister and Andris Piebalgs, Energy Commissioner participated together at the Connecting Europe 2009 Conference in Edinburgh to support the development of a pan-European electricity grid.

The Scottish Government has responded directly to a range of key Commission consultations ensuring the Scottish position has been clearly set out in relation to issues including the EU Budget Review, EU Energy network and territorial cohesion.

Additionally, EU activity is supported by frequent direct contact between officials from the Scottish Government and the Commission.

Creative Scotland is currently developing its first corporate plan which will be published in the first quarter of 2011. As part of this process it is considering a range of funding mechanisms including grants, loans and profit and equity shares in a national and international context. Research will inform this work.

The Scottish Government has no mechanisms in place to profit directly from artists'' work.

Local authorities have a duty, supported by an Act of Parliament, to ensure adequate provision of culture in their area. The Scottish Government, working closely with local government, cultural organisations and others with an interest, aspires to help community planning partnerships to identify ways for culture to help deliver community wellbeing in their Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs).

However, it is of course a matter for the community planning partnerships themselves to decide the content of their plans, how these link to the strategic SOAs, and which approaches may be thought most appropriate for delivering specific local priorities.