Scottish Budget: Shona Robison - "I will increase culture budget by £34M"
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CreativityTranscript
00:00We have listened to people in communities across our land, we have heard them and we
00:07have acted. We have heard, in particular, the concerns of the culture sector. They rightly
00:13are flagging the threat that the Tory cost-of-living crisis, inflation and Labour's national insurance
00:19hike pose to their future, but this SNP Government will help. Earlier this week, Labour called
00:26on me to deliver a £25 million increase in the culture budget and to exempt music
00:32venues from non-domestic rates. I can announce today that, yes, we will provide NDR support
00:38to music venues, but I will not increase the culture budget by £25 million. No, instead,
00:45I will increase the culture budget by £34 million next year—another record increase.
00:54We are committed to increasing arts and culture funding by £100 million. After just two years,
01:00we are halfway there. Next year, subject to the normal budget processes, I aim to deliver
01:05a further £20 million increase.
01:09Taken with this year's rise, multiyear funding can be provided to cultural organisations
01:14across Scotland, which, as Angus Robertson has told me, will be transformational for
01:19the sector. That includes our world-class Scottish festivals, whose budget we are doubling,
01:24and thousands of grassroots artists who will also benefit from that support.