By David Scott
A combined body for the arts is to be established in Scotland in 2010, with start-up costs set at £3.3m, culture minister Michael Russell has announced.
A combined body for the arts is to be established in Scotland in 2010, with start-up costs set at £3.3m, culture minister Michael Russell has announced.Creative Scotland will take over functions currently carried out by the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen, the agency that promotes film, television and digital production.
The decision to go ahead with the quango followed a long-running controversy, including opposition from hundreds of artists.
The plans were initially defeated in the Scottish Parliament because of concerns over the cost and fears that this would affect grants.
Announcing the latest proposals on April 1, Russell emphasised that the start-up costs would be fully met by the Scottish Government. He said: ‘The £3.3m represents our rigorous present best estimate of the full costs that arise because of the transition.’
Plans for the body will be included in the Public Services Reform Bill.
The set-up costs include £1m for voluntary redundancy. Russell said that he had ‘very constructive discussions’ with the unions and would continue to do so before the issue came back before Parliament as part of the Bill.
