 Rymell ddynol, wrth hwnnw, eich cyfnodd cyfyll Tower lwrd yn cydwyddiolol sydd i ddod yn gwybod eu cael bod yn mynd o bwysig, neu'n mynd i wneud, ac mae hwyl i gyd, pan mae gyd i gyddoch gallu gweithio yma, i gydig i Gwseiliaeth Gwstian 1 a Angus MacLeod. Maen nhw, ddflwy pethau Gwstian 1 i gydig i Gwstian 1 i gydig i Gwstian 1 i gydig i Gwstian 1 i gydig i Gwstian 2 i gydig i Gwstian 2 i gydig i Gwstian 3 i gydig i Gwstian The Infrastructure and Investment Plan 2015 confirms a priority given to tackling climate change and the range of steps being taken across the plan and individual portfolio areas, including health, education and transport, to address climate change. To underline that commitment, energy efficiency has been designated a national infrastructure priority in the plan. Investment in domestic energy efficiency through Scotland's energy efficiency programme helps to tackle fuel poverty, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, therefore, helps to meet climate change targets and support the economy through providing opportunities for regional SMEs to be involved in the delivery of Scottish Government programmes. Furthermore, by investing in the energy efficiency of our businesses, we will help to ensure that energy costs are affordable for our businesses, helping them to remain competitive on the global stage. This investment will provide local employment, benefiting local people and communities across Scotland and help to grow our low-carbon economy. I thank the cabinet secretary for his response. I would be keen to hear his view on the recommendation of the low-carbon infrastructure task force that, in future, a much greater proportion of infrastructure expenditure will have to go towards low-carbon projects if we are to achieve our long-term climate change targets. We have previously welcomed this initiative as providing a valuable contribution to the on-going challenge of tackling climate change and building a low-carbon economy in Scotland. We will be interested in the outcomes of the consultation exercise that is now being undertaken. WWF's recognition of the Scottish Government's achievements has been acknowledged in areas such as renewables, but we also recognise the need for a comprehensive approach to low-carbon infrastructure and we continue to develop our understanding of Scotland's long-term infrastructure requirements in this area. We recognise that investment in low-carbon infrastructure can help us to deliver not only our climate change targets, but it can also make economic sense and drive growth, which is why, as I have said, the latest refresh of the infrastructure investment plan makes energy efficiency a national infrastructure priority and it commits us to multi-year funding to deliver economic benefits to homes and businesses. We also have plans to highlight other areas of expenditure that support low-carbon projects that help us to achieve our climate change targets. Those include low-carbon transport initiatives with investment in cleaner technologies such as electric vehicles, active travel by encouraging walking and cycling, street lighting replacement programmes and Scotland's schools for the future programme and NHS boards. We are investing in more energy-efficient school buildings and healthcare facilities, which will help us to use more renewable technologies and minimise energy consumption. In view of your initial injunction to the chamber, I have noticed that the first question and answers took three minutes, Deputy Presiding Officer. How do you propose to ensure that the 10 questions listed get into the slot allocated? Many thanks. I appreciate that that is not a point of order, but you have nonetheless made a point that was perhaps needy making. To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities last met Fife Council and what issues were discussed. I participate in a conference call together with Fife Council and business organisations on 8 December to discuss the closure of the 4th bridge. Thank you. The closure of the 4th bridge had a huge detrimental impact on the road network in my constituency, and the continuing restrictions on the HGVs are placing real strain on the A985 and surrounding roads. The bridge closure demonstrated that the road and rail networks in West Fife have trouble coping with prolonged closures, and it does not take much imagination to imagine a situation where it could be happening again. What additional investment will be made to improve the A985 trunk road and to repair the damage caused on roads around West Fife due to the extra HGV traffic? What action will the Scottish Government take to improve rail infrastructure in West Fife, and what improvements will the Scottish Government deliver to ensure that we better cope with any future closures and that communities are much better consulted and involved in the development of power plants? That is fine. Thank you very much, as briefly, as you reasonably can. I would concede the point that, of course, the closure of the 4th road bridge had implications for some of the surrounding roads, both trunk roads and local roads, including those in my constituency, the A977 and others. We are very pleased that the bridge was opened as quickly as possible to general traffic, if not to HGVs. We are very conscious of the need to open it to HGVs and the programme that we have to try and have the repair done, and we are also pending the assurance that there are no similar issues in terms of the rest of the bridge. We are on track to reopen it to HGVs in the middle of February. As to the point about any damage, I would say that, if Kara Holden wants to write to me with details of any damage, we are willing to look at that. We also took action to make sure that those roads that were used as a substitute and are still being used were free of roadworks during the course of that diversion. We are willing to take action, and if the member wants to write to me, I am happy to look at that again. Question 3, Hanzala Malik. Thank you very much and good afternoon, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government how it will revise its winter resilience plan for transport services in light of the disruption in the west coast mainline service from storm damage. The trunk road operating companies and network rail are responsible for producing and implementing winter resilience plans. Both have taken action in light of the west coast disruption and will ensure that their outputs are incorporated into future resilience plans. Thank you very much for that response. The Scottish Alliance announced on Monday that the liming done by duct will be closed for at least one month longer than initially expected due to the discovery of more damage and high water levels hindering repairs. Does the minister agree with me that winter resilience plan needs to be focused away from only ice and snow and actually look at other areas particularly high winds and flooding? Can he also assure us that measures will be taken to ensure that we actually get a proper infrastructure protection plan in place because we've had the fiasco of the fourth road bridge and now we've got this? So can he give us assurances that we will actually look at the plan more clearly for future? First of all, I'll separate out the issues of the fourth road bridge in terms of that being an unforeseen fault and focus straight on this liming done via duct issue which was caused due to the weather, the volumes of waters, what's caused the damage, the scour as it's known, the severe damage to the structure of the bridge. I'm very conscious of time. I'm happy to write in full detail to the member about the actions we've taken, the work with Network Rail mitigation and the engineering works as well to give the issue the attention that it deserves. I'm happy to share that information with other members as well because of the importance of it but this was about weather impacting on structure and there are satisfactory measures in place to ensure safety and continuity and inspection and risk assessment when it comes to the infrastructure of our country but of course we'll always look further at how we can improve that with transport operators recognising that climate change is a factor that we are increasingly dealing with. Thank you very much. Question 4, Fiona McLeod. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Canals has any role in flood prevention. Minister Derek Mackay. The Scottish Canals does have a role to play in water management and has canal and reservoir assets which play an active part in flood mitigation. Scottish Canals is represented on the Scottish Government's flooding stakeholder group and is working with partners in the public sector to assist with water resource management and flood control. Thank you for that answer. I wonder in light of that answer, minister, if given the recent adverse weather conditions we'll have to update the dredging programme for Scottish Canals. Minister? While we are deepening the strategy here for the official report, that will be recorded as loud laughter to the minister's comments. There is a serious issue here about the use of dredging and that is why Scottish Canals is genuinely strengthening their expertise around looking at practices and where it can be deployed. In all seriousness, it is an issue that has been taken forward in terms of the work around it. I am happy to give the member more information if you require it. As a follow-up question, could I ask the minister about how the working structures for flood prevention will take into account the local knowledge of communities, businesses and land managers and how that can be made as robust as possible to facilitate information flows both ways in the development of plans? I am not one for passing responsibility, but that is more of a matter for my environment colleagues. I am more than happy to share it with Aileen McLeod and come back to you in terms of the detail of those structures and community and stakeholder involvement. I cite Scottish Canals as an example of an organisation that we are very closely with. They clearly have a role to play because of the issues around water and use of water, management and flood attenuentions, schemes and so on. I am happy to pass on that exchange to the appropriate minister. To ask the Scottish Government how work in the Aberdeen western peripheral route is progressing. A construction work on the AWPR is now well underway and we are on programme to open the road in winter 2017. We will continue to work closely with the contractor to ensure the successful delivery of the project. We will also continue to provide regular updates to local communities and to elected representatives. The western peripheral route is some feet of engineering and construction, a vital route for the north-east of Scotland. It has 75 principal structures, two river crossings, one railway bridge and over 70 culverts. Has the recent adverse weather condition and flooding had any impact on the works? Is the major project still on schedule? Kevin Stewart rightly points out the scale of the massive project. Of course, people have been campaigning for this road for the best part of half a century in some cases, and it is a very large project. In common with many parts of the north-east again, Kevin Stewart is right to say that the recent adverse weather has caused flooding at some locations across the site. He is also right to highlight the fact that major projects such as other parts of infrastructure can be impacted by adverse weather. However, initial signs are that any effects caused by the flooding can be mitigated and absorbed into the programme by rescheduling activities, allowing the project to remain on schedule. That is a fairly standard approach on projects of this nature. The cabinet secretary tells us whether progress in the western peripheral route will require any borrowing by the Scottish Government in this financial year or next. The cabinet secretary has laid out the nature of the financing for this, which was originally intended to be funded through NPD. As a member knows, it has been reassigned to standard borrowing. Of course, that has an impact on our budgets, but there is also mitigation being taken in conjunction with the UK Government to ensure that we have cover for all the projects that we want to do. The member will also be aware that there is a commitment to around £75 million for each of the councils that are involved. Yes, there is obviously borrowing involved in this project, and that is how it is to be financed. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with EU officials regarding funding for public infrastructure projects, including the new common-odd academy. The question is slightly related to the previous question. In relation to projects being taken forward in this case as part of the hub programme, the Deputy First Minister recently confirmed that the views offered by the Office for National Statistics on proposed changes to the hub model meant that 10 affected schools and two health centre projects would now be able to proceed to financial close. The Scottish Futures Trust is working with procuring authorities to achieve that. The trust is also working with partners to take forward the longer-term hub pipeline, including future projects within Scotland's schools for the future programme to enable them to proceed to financial close in due course. Mark Griffin I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. As he pointed out, the Deputy First Minister did make a statement to the Parliament on 26 November to update members on the impact of the Government's infrastructure programme and gave the indication that 12 projects would go ahead 10 schools and two health centres. Was disappointed, though, that the common-odd academy was not included in that list. Will the cabinet secretary set out today when the pupils and parents in common-odd will know if they are getting a new school or not? From information that I have seen from the council, I think that parents do have that assurance. The authority has said that it has all the funding available to proceed to construct the school. On the question of Scottish Government involvement in that, the member is right to say that that is under consideration just now. There is no question that was impacted by the decision of the ons and also the investigations that the ons undertook in relation to the Eurostat decision. That has been considered. I mentioned in my original answer the future phase of the schools projects that are taking place. The Government will make an announcement in due course on the issue of both that school and other schools in that part of the phase, that phase of the programme. To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Water report into the contamination incident in North Lanarkshire in June 2015 that affected 6,000 households will be published. The Scottish Water report has been submitted to the drinking water quality regulator as part of her investigations into the incident. Until her investigations are complete and any legal action that might arise has been taken, it would not be appropriate to release the report. It is my understanding, as the cabinet secretary said, that the drinking water regulator for Scotland is investigating the circumstances of the incident and that Scottish Water reports form for part of that investigation, which may result in the regularity of making a report to the procreative fiscal. Given that it is now over six months since the contamination incident that has affected many constituents, they are still unaware of the cause of contamination. Can the cabinet secretary provide an assurance that the report and questions shall be made public, publicly available when she has committed to that work, given that those 6,000 households are still left without any answers to what happened in June 2015? I appreciate what the member says about her constituents wanting to get answers to that. It is for that reason that it is being treated very seriously. Of course, the drinking water quality regulator, the office was set up some 14 years ago and it is independent from the Government, so we have to await that process. More information will come out when either the drinking water quality regulator provides her report or, as I said, if legal action is taken, it will come into the public domain at that time. What I undertake to do is, as soon as the strictures that apply no longer apply, then I am happy to give as much information as I am legally able to give to both the member and her constituents to update them on the circumstances. To ask the Scottish Government when it will last met Scottish Water. A last met Scottish Water on 17 December 2015, when I arranged £120 million investment to improve the resilience of water supplies in Ayrshire. My officials, of course, as you would expect, are in daily contact with Scottish Water on a wide range of matters. In a way that Scottish Water routinely carries out water quality testing of household water supplies, is it aware of any issues that prevent Scottish Water from providing the test results to the householder? If there are no issues arising from that, could you advise Scottish Water to routinely ensure that householders receive a copy of the results of the test that is carried out? I am aware, not least in relation to the answer that I have just given to Siobhan McMahon, that there may be circumstances in which the other strictures apply that would not allow that information to be passed out in the way that John Wilson said. Beyond that, I am not sure that there is any reason why the information cannot be provided. In relation to the question that John Wilson has asked, I am happy to investigate that with Scottish Water and come back to him with outcome of those discussions. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to maximise the economic growth potential and investment opportunities made possible by funding from the UK city deals programme. The Scottish Government has been consistently clear that it views cities and their regions as the key engines of the Scottish economy. We are therefore committed to working with all of our cities to stimulate growth and deliver infrastructure investment. We are making significant investments across Scotland and are working with the UK Government to ensure that any funding proposals add to the work that we are already doing with our cities. Of existing city deals in England have involved agreements with central government and devolution of powers over areas such as skills and transport. What measures have the Scottish Government taken to deliver more local powers in city deal areas in Scotland? I would say that the nature of city deals both in Scotland—we have had one and others are being discussed at this time—and the nature of city deals in England and Wales have very large one recently in Cardiff has changed over the period. Some of those have involved asked for additional powers, as the member mentioned. Some councils have talked about additional powers, for example, in relation to things such as employment services that are provided by the Scottish Government. There is an ask that is there, but it has not been detailed as yet. Most of the city deals that we have advanced, along with the UK Government, have been talking about infrastructure projects and some other innovations that we will talk about as soon as those city deals are completed. We are willing to respond to requests from local government to talk about those additional powers, but it has to be made specific. The final judgment will be to say whether the powers that are asked for, if they are devolved, are further devolved, and some of them that have been asked to be devolved do not even have them at this point in time, if that would add to the value of the city deal that is under consideration. We remain open minded to those suggestions and we will take that forward as and when the case is made to us. Alison McHenrys, I agree that the need for regional investment in Aberdeen is even more pressing now than when the city deal was first proposed. Will he give an assurance that securing and financially supporting the Aberdeen city deal is a key priority of his Government? That is a very good point. We have had very recent discussions. I discussed this with the UK Government minister responsible about 10 days ago. There has been subsequent discussions since then. I well understand the urgency of the situation in the north-east and in Aberdeen. We are taking that forward along with our partners. I met both the leader of Aberdeen Council and Aberdeenshire Council and the UK Government. I think that both the Scottish Government and the UK Government understand the urgency and the gravity of the situation. Many thanks, and that concludes that portfolio. I now move to portfolio questions on culture, Europe and external affairs. Question 1 has been allocated to Mr Mark McDonald and Mr McDonald. If you would like to ask a question now, please do. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve cultural opportunities for people from deprived areas. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting programmes that ensure that background is not a barrier and giving people from all walks of life a chance to participate in and enjoy the arts. For instance, in 1617, we are providing the national collections with over £46 million in running cost budgets so that the commitment to free access is maintained. We support a number of programmes for children and young people. The £10 million is being invested in the music initiative and that provided music opportunities for over 225,000 children across all 32 local authorities in 2014-15, meaning children from deprived areas that have music making opportunities. From September 2015 to April 2016, the National Theatre of Scotland is working with Aberdeen City Council through the Granite Production, bringing a programme of performances, interactive installations and events to the city streets. That includes the NTS and the Aberdeen Performing Arts Youth Theatre, which is working with several community groups across the city to make a large-scale production that will take place within the quadrangle of Marshall College. I remind the chamber again that short questions and answers will be appreciated. I thank the cabinet secretary for that comprehensive answer. Can she advise further what steps are being taken to encourage local and national creative organisations to perform more outreach work into communities, particularly communities of deprivation where individuals often face barriers to travelling into central locations to access cultural opportunities and which might enable cultural activity to take place within communities, giving more of a sense of place? Creative Scotland, who is our lead organisation in this area, is building on what was a fantastic 2014 cultural programme. It saw over 12,000 events in all 32 local authorities with 2.1 million visitors all over different parts of Scotland. I think that the member is right to identify the need to have performances and productions working with communities and in communities. Currently, Creative Scotland is looking to review its quality, diversity and inclusion activity to make sure that all communities are able to access and participate in the arts, and I would direct creative Scotland to the member's interests. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the UK Government's decision to rule out a return to the post-study work visa. Scottish Government was deeply disappointed by the UK Government's statement, which ruled out the return of the post-study work visa. On Scotland, the statement ignored the consensus that exists among Scottish businesses, education and, indeed, every political party represented in the chamber that there is a clear need for the return of the post-study work visa. It also, in our opinion, went clearly against the spirit of the Smith commission recommendations. I wonder whether we could outline what discussions were held with Scottish stakeholders on the decision, given that the call to return the visa has been backed by businesses, colleges and universities. As he has just mentioned, has cross-party support in this Parliament? Lots of engagement has taken place with stakeholders up and down the country and representing a multitude of stakeholders. Most recently, at the end of the year, we held a workshop with over 30 representatives from across academia, from across business, from across trade union representatives and, indeed, representatives of other political parties. All of them united in their consensus for the return of the post-study work visa. It would be worth saying that, since the written statement by the Secretary of State for Scotland has sought to distance himself from his own statement and his appearance at the Scottish Affairs Select Committee yesterday and did indicate that if sensible proposals were put forward, the UK Government would consider them, so we look forward to having that discussion with the UK Government with meeting the UK immigration minister who has agreed to meet with the cross-party post-study work steering group and hopefully take that issue further forward. To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that people with additional support needs can access or participate in cultural activities. In 2015, Creative Scotland began a three-year programme of regular support worth £100 million to 118 organisations, including those who provide specific opportunities for people with additional support needs to take part in the arts. That includes Drake Music Scotland, which is receiving £350,000 to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to play, learn and compose music through specialist teaching methods and music technology. Other organisations supported include £450,000 for birds of paradise theatre company, £600,000 for solar bear and £300,000 for paragon ensemble. In addition to relaxed performances designed to enable those with additional support needs to enjoy the arts and venue setting, the national performing companies have developed programmes to engage directly with special schools whose children have additional support needs. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer and ask if she agrees with me how important it is at a local level that arts and culture are there to promote participation, confidence, joy and wellbeing amongst those with special needs. Will she join me in celebrating organisations like chaotic productions, who in East Kilbride work very hard with adults with special needs to enable them to perform for the benefit of the town as a whole, and perhaps consider joining me at some point at one of their wonderful performances? Drama production culture can be hugely empowering for all of us, but particularly those with additional support needs can make a real difference to their lives and the quality of their lives and the joy of their lives. It is very important not just at the national level but also at the local level that that is supported, and I would be delighted to take up our invitation should the opportunity arise. Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to refugees from Syria and what further discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government on this matter. Minister, whom is it you, sir? The refugee task force, which was established by the First Minister in September 2015, brings together the Scottish Ministers, the COSLA, the Scottish Refugee Council, the UK Government, local government and other stakeholders to co-ordinate Scotland's humanitarian and very practical response to the refugee crisis. The task force has ensured that refugees have received the warmest welcome to Scotland and continues to work to support the delivery of arrangements to help refugees to settle into the new homes and communities in the work of integration, which will take not just days, weeks but indeed an effort that will take a number of years. The Scottish Government is in regular dialogue with the UK Government about arrangements on the arrival of Syrian refugees in Scotland, and I spoke to the Home Office about that just last week. I wonder if he shares with me the concerns that pupils from the 8th junior high school in Shetland expressed to me last week, that this has fallen off the news agenda. We do not see the plight of Syrian refugees, particularly in winter time, at this time being covered by national and indeed international television and other news outlets. Would he also share or would he also agree with me that the concern of pupils of that age is that the moral imperative to act is still with us, what further proposals might he have in that regard? Would he also consider that the comments of the foreign secretary this morning on British Scotland are very much at odds with how many of us feel in Scotland today? I have not seen those remarks yet, but I will make sure that I do. However, I agree entirely with what Tavish Scott says and his constituency in Shetland that there is a danger at this issue after the disturbing images that we saw in the summer time. I will offer our television screen that the issue comes off people's radars. I think that there is a hell of a lot more that the UK Government and Scottish Government and local authorities can do. That £20,000 that has been announced by the UK Government, we think, should absolutely only be a floor, not a ceiling. A number of organisations, like to say the children, have raised the issue of unaccompanied children. In fact, Tim Farron, leader at the UK level, has broached this issue, I know, with the Prime Minister and the foreign secretary. It is certainly a call also that the Scottish Government would support as well. On a perhaps more positive note, it has been incredible the response from all 32 local authorities expressing their willingness to want to get involved. We have to ensure, as the Scottish Government, that we harness that public attitude and that public desire to want to help the most vulnerable in the world. Does the minister agree with me that we should be proud of the UK's efforts to help the most vulnerable refugees from Syria who are unable to leave the region, including providing over 19 million food rations and having allocated £1.2 billion in aid? Yes, I do. I commend the efforts that the UK Government has made, as one of the largest donors in that region, also for the efforts that it is making in relation to the Syrian VPR scheme. I would say that we have had some differences. We do believe that the UK Government should opt into the EU resettlement relocation scheme for those refugees that are arriving across the Aegean Sea. We also think that we can take more refugees than perhaps, as I have already mentioned in the answer before, we should consider unaccompanied children, but that is not to discredit anything that the UK Government is doing. I think that it should be applauded for the efforts that it has made in the region and that we stand ready, as a Scottish Government, to assist where we can. To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to local museums and galleries following a reduction in the culture budget for 2016-17. The Scottish Government primarily supports local museums and galleries through funding to Museums Gallery Scotland. Funding for mining maritime and fisheries industrial museums directly from the Scottish Government has not been reduced. Although overall funding for Museums Gallery Scotland has, on the revenue side, been reduced by £110,000, I have made an available and additional £200,000 of capital, trebling the amount of capital available. Therefore, there is an overall increase of £90,000 of funding support for local museums and galleries from the Scottish Government culture budget, and I hope that people will support that. I am sure that the minister will share my concern about the existing inequitable access to our local museums and galleries and the importance of ensuring that all our public policy decisions and public finance decisions improve enjoyment of the arts amongst our disadvantaged communities and do not compound that disadvantage. How does she intend to assess and monitor the impact of her cut, along with the £500 million that she is making on our local authority budgets, given that it is highly likely to impact mostly on the non-statutory services such as local museums and galleries? Can I challenge the premise of the member's question? He obviously did not listen to my answer. There has been no cut from the culture budget for local museums and galleries. That is a very important protection from the Scottish Government, and it is one that I think we will continue to support. In addition, the Scottish Government took on direct funding of the mining maritime fisheries and industrial museums, and again, in terms of our budget, there is no reduction. It is very important that, when members come to the chamber, they listen to the answers to make it quite clear that we are protecting that. It is very important that the arts and culture budget is protected in terms of what local authorities can do. They have done that up to now. I have confidence in faith that they will make the right decisions. As the Scottish Government has done, we are leading by example. Can I ask the cabinet secretary a supplementary on that particular issue, and ask her if she is in discussion with the Deputy First Minister about the issue of whether a tourism levy would assist local authorities to take pressure off their budgets but also enable them to invest more in local culture, which is obviously an issue that is under huge pressure in local authorities across the country? I am aware that Edinburgh City Region has proposed such a measure. It is up for them to argue that, but I do understand that across government there are different interests, whether it is the tourism minister, whether it is a finance minister or indeed with Keith Brown, who is the lead on the city deal, but it is something that I will keep close interest in. To ask the Scottish Government when the cabinet secretary for culture, Europe and external affairs last met Glasgow City Council. Last met Glasgow City Council on 17 November at the launch of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's new world-class facility at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, for which the Scottish Government has provided £9.2 million of funding. I am sure that the cabinet secretary shares with me a great pride in the work done by Glasgow City Council and local communities to contribute to the arts and to culture over many years. Has the cabinet secretary made an assessment of the impact of the cuts of her government to local government, particularly to Glasgow, which has disproportionately been affected by the impact of that on Glasgow's proud heritage and its culture? Unless she makes representation to the finance secretary to think again about the way in which Glasgow has been funded? In terms of the reduction of local government funding, it is to the degree of 2 per cent. Actually, my budget has received a far greater reduction than Glasgow City Council. In terms of the management of my budget, as I have said in my previous answer, it has been possible for the culture portfolio to protect funding for local museums and galleries. I am not sure if she was in the chamber to hear my previous answer. Yes, there are challenges, but in terms of budgeting, if we are having to live under the current Westminster Government, a Tory Government that is implementing austerity budgets that she wanted to maintain by her position in the referendum, I think that it is very difficult to come to this chamber and say, after the event, that we do not like the Tory Government's budgets and its implications for Scotland, that is very hard. In a challenging budget, a 2 per cent reduction compared to other portfolios is actually a better position than many of us are finding ourselves. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to recognise the contribution of David Bowie made to the cultural life of Scotland and beyond. The Scottish Government has no current plans to recognise the cultural contribution of David Bowie, although we are aware that there are numerous connections to Scotland. As a great artist, David Bowie sought to challenge and change perceptions and made great music, drama and visual arts his influence in changing the worlds of the LGBT community was enormous. An icon of the modern world, one of the most immediate responses, which captured that combined sense of loss and appreciation, was the organist at the Kelvin Grove Museum playing Life on Mars, which was seen by millions on the internet. Thank you, Claudia Beamish. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, not just because I was a fan of his since the first Glastonbury gig where he sang Turn and Face the Strange Changes. It seems to me that David Bowie symbolised and still does, a visionary approach to life, which inspired so many across generations and helped to give confidence to those who were afraid of change and opened up opportunities to explore our own identities and have the courage to constantly reinvent ourselves. I appreciate the recognition in the chamber given to him and my question is just could we confer possibly cabinet secretary to think about the future in those terms? I'm not sure if Claudia Beamish was ever a rebel, rebel or otherwise, but in terms of the most serious point about how we see ourselves, we live now in a modern world which has been shaped by those who are prepared to challenge artists, great artists, how we see ourselves and what we think. That is why I will always, in my passion for arts and culture, have that opportunity to recognise those artists, those who are perhaps inspired by Bowie but indeed others, who seek to change how we think. I think that perhaps in this place, of all places, sometimes we should be challenged how we think and to think and be a visionary about how we deal with it and have tolerance and respect and understanding. To ask the Scottish Government when the cabinet secretary for culture, Europe and external affairs will next visit Dumfries and Galloway. I have no engagements in Dumfries and Galloway in the near future. I was recently privileged to speak at the reopening of the Theatre Royals, Scotland's oldest working theatre, which was refurbished by a number of partners, including Creative Scotland. Given that the theatre has got a strong association with both Burns and Barry and has an excellent youth programme, can I recommend that the next time the culture secretary visits Dumfries and Galloway it would be a little worth her dropping in? I'd be very pleased to do so if the opportunity arises. I did visit Dumfries Theatre Royals in April 2013 at the start of the developments and I'd be very keen to see the progress. To ask the Scottish Government whether the cabinet secretary for culture, Europe and external affairs considers that the EU charter of fundamental rights is of benefit to Scotland. EU charter protects important fundamental rights in areas ranging from civil liberties to consumer protection. It has an effect in the specific context of EU law. The Scottish Government strongly supports EU charter. I thank the minister for that answer. We obviously await the UK Government's proposals on a British Bill of Rights, but does the minister agree that, short of a UK withdrawal from the European Union, the charter of fundamental rights will apply throughout the UK when matters of EU law are engaged? Are there any proposals to be made by the UK Government need to take this and the benefits of the charter fully into account? Yes, I entirely agree. The safeguards contained in the EU charter would continue to apply for as long as the UK remains a member of the EU. That would be the case irrespective of what emerges from the UK Government's promised consultation on a British Bill of Rights. Repeal of the Human Rights Act would not alter the requirement to comply with EU law, or the charter would be of grave concern if the UK Government looked to use the charter as part of the renegotiation. We would have strongly opposed that as we have strongly opposed any dilution of human rights in UK legislation as well. That concludes portfolio questions. We now move to the next item on business, which is a