 I不錯 afternoon! Can I remind members that the Covid-related measures that are in place and face covering should be warrant when moving around the chamber and across the Holy Road campus? The next night of businesses' portfolio of questions on the constitution, external affairs and culture. If a member wishes to request a supplementary question they should hold the request to speak button or indicate so na the chat function by entering the letter r during the relevant question. 1. Kenneth Gibson Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what preparations are being made for holding an independence referendum in the first half of this Parliament. On 7 September 2021, the First Minister announced as part of the programme for government that the Scottish Government will work to ensure that a legitimate and constitutional referendum can be held within its parliamentary term and if the Covid crisis is over within the first half of the parliamentary term itself. Since the announcement in the PFG, work has begun to scope what will be required to take this commitment forward and to provide the people of Scotland the information they will need in order that they can make an informed choice about Scotland's future. Kenneth Gibson I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Whilst independent supporters understand the need to wait until we are clear of Covid, the chaos and ineptitude of the UK's shambolic government—one clearly determined to undermine the existing devolved settlement—increases the urgency of Scotland's need to re-emerge as an independent sovereign state equal among nations. Will the cabinet secretary commit to making a statement to Parliament as soon as we are through the pandemic on the road map to an independence referendum and beyond? I would be more than happy to make a statement to Parliament on this matter. The case for independence is a strong one. The Government will present it openly, frankly, and with confidence and ambition. An independent Scotland would have the power to make different choices, including about how we manage public health challenges with different budgetary options and could make choices best suited to Scotland's interests. The Scottish Government is a clear mandate to hold a referendum, and it is the people of Scotland who will have the right to determine the future of Scotland. Donald Cameron It is up to the minister who is joining us remotely. Donald Cameron Thank you. Given the serious concerns around the Omicron variant, does the cabinet secretary agree that the very last thing that we should be doing today is to discuss the second independence referendum and, further, that all available financial resources currently earmarked for referendum planning should be immediately re-prioritised and used in our collective effort against Covid? Donald Cameron Cabinet secretary? Donald Cameron No, I do not agree with the Conservative front-bench spokesman. He, as is so often the case together with his colleagues, ignores the result of the Scottish Parliament election. The people of Scotland elected an SNP-led Government, elected with a mandate to hold a referendum. In addition to the work that we are clearly doing, the number one priority in battling the Covid pandemic, we have the full panoply of government work that we need to pursue. Part of that is making the preparations for the referendum that will take place when the time is right and the Covid pandemic is passed. Karen Adam Cabinet secretary? Who is joining us remotely? Karen Adam Thank you, Presiding Officer. When I stood for election in May this year, I stood on a manifesto commitment to hold an independence referendum. I was elected by the people of Bancher and Bucking Coast who gave me this mandate. People want that choice presented to them. People in the northeast have been putting money into the UK coffers for a long time and have now been hammered by the UK Government's damaging Brexit and mediocre drop in the ocean investment, which does not come close to what they have paid in for decades. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that the people of the northeast are entitled to choose who decides their future, particularly given the circumstances around a fair and just transition? Cabinet secretary? Yes, I agree with my colleague that the member is entirely correct that the people of the northeast of Scotland and Scotland as a whole have a right to exercise a choice about independence, and the Scottish Government is committed to supporting and facilitating a just transition. That is demonstrated by the £10-year £500 million scheme, the Just Transition Fund for the Northeast and Murray, which was announced earlier this year, and we ask the UK Government to match that ambition, which to date they have not. In October, the UK Government also failed to award the green light to the cluster led by the Acorn project at St Fergus. It is extremely disappointing for the northeast. Currently, the Scottish Government does not hold all the necessary legislative and regulatory levers to support the cluster as they are retained by the UK Government. That decision jeopardises the opportunities to deliver a just transition in our energy sector and for Scotland to achieve our ambitions. It must be up to the people of Scotland to decide how Scotland is governed. Question 3, Rhoda Grant, who is joining us remotely. Ms Grant, could you please start your question from the beginning, because we did not hear it, thank you. Apologies, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to creative industries in rural areas, including in relation to young people wishing to pursue a career in this sector. The Scottish Government supports the creative industries in rural areas through a range of activities that is delivered through our enterprise and skills agencies, as well as on direct activity. That support includes Expo North, the year-round support programme for the Highlands and Islands, and skills training, funded by the Scottish Government's National Transition Training Fund. Young people also receive mentoring and support through Level Up Digital and the TVV programme. From next year, support will also be available through the £20 million rural entrepreneurs fund. Rhoda Grant. The Inverness Creative Academy wasp studios provides affordable studio accommodation to those in the creative industries. However, there are very few such opportunities throughout the Highlands and Islands. In light of rural depopulation and the fact that the creative sector is hit particularly hard by the effects of Covid, how does the Scottish Government plan to encourage similar ventures to ensure that young people working in creative industries are not forced to leave the area to pursue their careers? I thank Rhoda Grant for her question. She raises a number of important points, but primarily with regard to the Inverness Trade Academy, the example that she has provided was really quite an important one. I am keen to have a bit more of a conversation with Rhoda Grant about that work and how we might be able to better support that activity. She mentioned some of the impacts with regard to the creative sector, which is right now suffering from the very real impacts of the Omicron variant in terms of the events sector, but more broadly the culture sector, which has been one of the worst hits in terms of the pandemic impacts. I will certainly take that away as a good example of the work that we are currently focused on, which is on helping the sector to recover from the impacts of the pandemic. Minister, Scotland is sought after destination for film and television production, so it is important that we continue to invest and develop in the sector. On that basis, can the minister outline how the funding allocated in the Scottish budget will support the sector to grow? The funding will help to build the skills, talent, support system and studio infrastructure to enable our film and TV industry to capitalise on unprecedented interest in production in Scotland, but it will also further develop a sustainable creative economy. The new £11.9 million Kelvin Hall studio, which the Cabinet Secretary announced last week, funded by the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council, is a prime example of the confidence that we have in Scotland's fast-growing screen sector. Investing in Scottish skills and talent and opening up new opportunities is the best way to ensure our storytelling and creativity drive, what is on the screen and representing us authentically here and also around the world. Ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the steps that it is taking to strengthen Scotland's international relationships. Scotland is a proudly internationalist nation and embraces opportunities to strengthen our international relationships. Our new global affairs framework will be grounded in a values-based approach and will set out the basis in which the Scottish Government will prioritise our international activity. Our international offices enhance Scotland's international reputation and create domestic opportunities. We have plans to strengthen our office in Brussels and open offices in both Copenhagen and Warsaw in the coming years. We will also continue to use our growing international development fund and enhance climate justice fund to work with partners in the global south. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Maintaining close relationships with our friends in Europe and across the world is integral to building a stronger and fairer, more prosperous Scotland. Can the cabinet secretary provide a little bit more of an update on the work of Scotland's international offices in promoting Scottish interests overseas? Our new offices in Copenhagen and Warsaw will promote Scotland's interests and expertise in the Nordic and Central European regions, attracting investment and supporting the exchange of knowledge and of best practice. Our international presence creates domestic opportunities, broadens our horizons, attracts investment and ultimately benefits the people of Scotland. Our policies and actions abroad will be consistent with our focus on fairness and inclusion at home. The programme for government emphasises our commitment to reviewing our approach to future policy and economic engagement with the view to enhancing Scotland's global reach and Scotland's presence. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that the US blockade on Cuba, which has been imposed for over five decades, must now be ended to allow the Cuban economy to recover from the pandemic and trade freely with key markets? I think that that might be a little bit wide of the question, but I note your enthusiasm to respond. Always pleased to respond. Obviously, I think that the normalisation of relations with Cuba is something that has, over recent years, been pursued even by US administrations with the opening of trade, the ability of Cuban exiles to file remittances to relatives in Cuba. I am at the front of the queue to acknowledge the fact that the human rights record of the Cuban state, which is run by a one-party Government, is not something that we would seek to support. However, I stand in support of improved relations with Cuba while supporting the importance of human rights on that island. Clare Adamson, who is joining us remotely. Thank you, Presiding Officer. An integral part of fostering good relations is building trust with international partners. The decision of the Home Office to force EU citizens with pre-settled status to reapply for their rights, to live and work in the UK, is in a front and potentially yet another breach of the withdrawal agreement that the UK Government signed up to. What engagements has the Scottish Government had with the Home Office regarding the impact of that decision and what it will mean for EU citizens who have made Scotland their home? The Scottish Government has always been clear that European Union citizens should not have to apply to retain the rights that they enjoyed when the UK was a member state of the European Union. The UK Government should have chosen a declaratory statement rather than force people to suffer the indignity of applying to the EU settlement scheme. We have also consistently said that all successful applicants to the EU SS should be granted permanent settled status rather than the less secure pre-settled status. We fully appreciate and support the position taken by the independent monitoring authority and call on the UK Government to remove the requirement for pre-settled status holders to make a second stressful application to the EU SS. To ask the Scottish Government what action is taken to support the promotion of cultural assets connected to Robert Burns in Dumfries and Galloway. The Scottish Government has provided a £47,000 museum development fund grant through a museums gallery Scotland this year to redevelop and relaunt the future museum website, which will benefit the Robert Burns Centre and Robert Burns house. We have also provided a total of £28,941 of funding to the Robert Burns Ellisland Trust over the past two years and £30,000 to support the Big Burns Supper festival in Dumfries in 2022 through Event Scotland. In addition, Visit Scotland and Event Scotland offer a range of promotional support to Burns-related attractions and events throughout Dumfries and Galloway to encourage tourism. I thank the minister for that answer. The calls to do more to capitalise on the cultural value of Burns are nothing new. Back in October 2019, we saw the publication of the Scottish Government funded Pittaq report following sustained calls from our former colleague Joe McAlpine, whose contribution on this issue is much missed in the chamber. Can I ask what is being done to implement his recommendations, particularly recommendation 5, which highlights the opportunities to promote more integrated Burns trail and the significant untapped potential of Ellisland Farm and Museum? I thank Oliver Mundell for his supplementary question. As he alluded to in May 2018, we commissioned Murray Pittaq at the Centre for Robert Burns Studies at Glasgow University to produce the report that he alluded to. The report found that Robert Burns is worth in excess of £200 million annually to the Scottish economy, largely through tourism but also in terms of food and drink and culture. It also talks about the brand value of almost £140 million annually for Scotland, attributable to Robert Burns. With regard to the specifics of Mr Mundell's question, he asked whether the Government can do more with regard to Robert Burns and the impact on the economy and based on Murray Pittaq's report. I am more than happy to meet Mr Mundell on this. He also alluded to Joe McAlpine, my former colleague's contribution in the chamber on this. I know that it was an issue on which he was driving very much so as a MSP formally, but I know that he is now very much involved in the Ellisland Trust additionally. If Mr Mundell would like to meet me and Ms McAlpine, I would be more than happy to address some of the key actions that came out as a result of that report. To ask the Scottish Government how it works with overseas partners in helping to tackle Covid-19 and support a global recovery. Since the start of the pandemic, the Scottish Government has allocated £3.5 million from our international development budget for Covid support in our partner countries of Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia. In addition, in September, we donated £11.2 million worth of surplus NHS Scotland PPE kit to those three partner countries in Africa, providing £250,000 from our international development fund to contribute again towards the transportation cost of those materials. Next financial year, we will increase our international development fund by a further £1.5 million to £11.5 million, specifically for initiatives that are responding to Covid-19 in our three African partner countries. Brian Hose. I thank the minister for that answer. After announcing it, she said that the further funding for overseas aid last month, can the minister outline what, if anything, more has been planned to help supplement the efforts to vaccinate those in our partner countries in light of the rising cases as a result of the Omicron variant? I do not know if he was in the chamber two weeks ago when I gave a statement specifically focused on our Covid response to our partner countries. The Scottish Government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic with regard to our partner countries has been largely focused on preparing our partner countries for vaccine roll-out, not on the vaccine roll-out itself. That is because we are not members of course of the COVAX programme, so there are a number of challenges there. We did last year conduct a review into our international development offer, and the reason that I conducted that review or instructed that review rather was because of the new reality that Covid had presented in terms of our international development roll-out. We awarded last year, for example, £2 million to UNICEF to help with its Covid-19 response, including vaccine preparedness that I spoke to and also on delivery. More recently, I visited Glasgow University, along with colleagues from the Cazulu University of Health Sciences in Malawi, to learn about some of the work that we are funding with them, which is focused on genomic sequencing capacity in Malawi. That project brings together the expertise of Camusio University but also of the University of Glasgow to impact on the Covid-19 pandemic to the benefit of both Malawian and Scottish populations in terms of learning about how the virus intersects with the vaccine in our partner countries. The primary objective will be to determine the magnitude of the immune response to Covid-19 vaccines in the Malawian population. Although we are not directly involved in vaccination, I hope that it will give Mr Whittle some reassurance that we are absolutely involved in vaccine preparedness, but also in that wider learning about how the virus is developing in our partner countries, which we know is absolutely crucial in terms of what we are facing right now with the new variants that are appearing in the form of Omicron. Taking the fight against climate change must always be the priority for us to support the global recovery. In April, in UNHR released data showing that 21.5 million people have been displaced by climate change-related disasters since 2010, pointing out that, in addition to a sudden disaster, climate change is a complex cause of food and water shortage, as well as difficulties in accessing natural resources, with statistics shows that there could be a rise of over 200,000 in the years to come. That displaced people and refugees are also doubly hit with Covid-19 outbreaks, with limited access to health care and vaccination. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to prevent further tragedies and supporting refugees in need? He is right to point to the impact of climate change on developing countries in particular. He will know that, primarily, the Scottish Government's response is through the climate justice fund, which sits with my colleague Mary McCallum. Nonetheless, it is important to point out that the Scottish Government has recently increased our climate justice fund and, in addition, has increased our funding with regard to loss and damage with the new fund, specifically available for our partner countries on tackling the impacts of climate change with regard to loss and damage. In terms of how we can respond to pandemics, I suppose that he spoke to some of the challenges that climate change presents in our partner countries. We primarily offer assistance through our humanitarian emergency fund. He may be aware that we recently announced funding earlier this week with regard to the roll-out of support in Afghanistan, which is, of course, facing a huge challenge at this moment in time. Primarily, that work is addressed through the humanitarian emergency fund, but specifically on the climate justice fund. There is more, potentially, of a link with Mary McCallum's ministerial responsibilities in that respect. Nonetheless, it is important that we have policy coherence on those issues and a meeting with Ms McCallum in January to discuss how we link up our international development work with our climate justice fund. I welcome the compassionate approach to international cooperation development that the Scottish Government has pursued in recent years. Can the minister provide any further detail as to how Scotland's ambition to enhance its reputation as a good global citizen will be served by the 2020-23 Scottish budget? International development is a key part of Scotland's global contribution within the international community. It encompasses our core values, historical and contemporary, of fairness and equality. The increase to our international development fund from £10 million to £11.5 million next financial year, in contrast, of course, to the UK Government, which is cutting development funding, is a clear indication of this Government's ambition to further enhance Scotland's reputation as a good global citizen. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the investment that it is making in Scotland's cultural infrastructure. The Scottish Government is investing £14.2 million in the current financial year in a range of capital projects, including the Scottish National Gallery, refurbishment and the Museum of Flight. As announced on 9 December, we are committing a further £2 million to support cultural recovery in the museums and gallery sector. That includes £1 million for the Cranarch Centre and a further £1 million for the sector to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic. The 2022-23 budget that was published on 9 December allocates £30 million to my portfolio for capital expenditure, supporting a range of infrastructure projects. The 19th century A-listed Aberdeenart gallery recently won the 2021 Dulan Award for Scotland's best building. After a transformational redevelopment project, it has, however, experienced significant damage to its exterior caused by urban gull population. Cabinet Secretary, in the north-east, gulls do not just attack people, their droppings are a persistent problem. What action is the Scottish Government taking with local authorities and Historic Environment Scotland to conserve our building heritage and protect it from pests like those? As somebody who lived in Aberdeen for four years while studying in that great city, I understand the dangers that the member is describing. I also recognise the point that she is making about the challenge to the built infrastructure that we have, both within the stock under Historic Environment Scotland but more generally, given the specific question that she has asked without advance notice. I would be happy to write back to her so that she has the fullest information that I can provide, and I appreciate that she and colleagues across the house will want to ensure that as much as can be possibly done to protect the built environment and historic environment that we have right across Scotland. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, in the light of the new restrictions that were announced after last week's budget, will the Scottish Government commit to ensuring that future funding criteria do not require venues and organisations to exhaust the reserves, given that they will be critical for enabling the sector to get through the next few months and to rebuild for the future? Can I welcome the opportunity given by Sarah Boyack through her question to briefly comment on the situation that we find ourselves in? We are in a very fast-moving situation, given the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Government, we are doing everything that we possibly can do within the constraints of the devolution settlement and finance to find the resources in place that we would wish to have to support the culture and art sector. Are there lessons that can be learned coming out of the pandemic in terms of how finances can be managed in a process through a serious challenge as we are currently living through? There is no doubt that there are lessons that can be learned, but I can assure her that I and Jenny Gilruth, colleagues in the Scottish Government, are doing everything that we can do to try and secure the funding to support the culture and art sector as we get through the pandemic. 8. Clare Baker, who is joining us remotely. To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with and investing in the live performance sector to support its recovery. Since the start of the pandemic, the Scottish Government has provided £175 million of financial support to the culture, heritage and events sector. That recognises the significant impact that the pandemic has had and continues to have on the live performance sector. We are committed to working with the sector and our public bodies to support the sector's recovery. We have also continued to engage with the national performing companies and commercial music stakeholders. I thank the minister for that response. Since I submitted the question last week, the situation has changed from recovery to crisis. The income from the festive season is particularly important for the live performance sectors. Already, the Bayer Theatre in St Andrews has halted its panel as well as festive film screenings. Brief funds are being issued, but those costs will need to be covered. I appreciate that the current situation is very challenging, but what is the minister's understanding of compensation for closures and cancellations, whether that is support from Government or from insurance policies, that can support the sector and what discussions is he currently engaged in? I thank Clare Baker for her very timely question. She is absolutely right to point to some of the very real challenges around live performance, particularly in terms of where the culture sector finds itself. The first point that is important is to remember that the culture sector did not fully recover from the last impact of the last lockdown. In May of 2020, the GDP for the arts culture and recreation sector had decreased by 56 per cent below pre-pandemic levels. Indeed, the sector has still not fully recovered, with the latest statistics for September of this year showing that GDP for the sector was 12 per cent lower than pre-pandemic levels, compared with just 1 per cent lower for the economy overall. Although the sector remains open, I am particularly live to the challenge around audience confidence. I met on Tuesday with the Federation of Scottish Theatre, and yesterday with the Scottish Commercial Music Industry Task Force, and the Cabinet Secretary will be meeting with stakeholders later this afternoon. As Ms Baker will know, the First Minister confirmed on Tuesday that further funding will be forthcoming to the centre. However, there is a limit to that support, and it is also important to remember that the arts and cultural organisations in Scotland have still not received the full amount of outstanding cultural consequentials promised to the sector in March, unlike in England, of course. As the Scottish Commercial Music Industry told me yesterday, cultural organisations in England can still apply to the arts recovery fund until the end of January. I do not begrudge organisations and venues accessing the funding in England. All I ask is that the Treasury reimburses the Scottish culture sector on an equal basis. With regard to Ms Baker's questions on compensation and enclosure, I hope that that gives her some reassurance that we are doing all that we can in the Scottish Government at this moment in time to look at what additional funding might be available for the sector. However, there will be a limit, and we really need the UK Government to step up with those outstanding consequentials that are due to the Scottish culture sector. Thank you minister. That concludes portfolio questions, and there will be a very short pause before we move on to the next item of business.