UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : The costs of conflict are self-evident on sustainable peace [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : The costs of conflict are self-evident on sustainable peace [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 November 2022.

    Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council open debate on integrating effective resilience-building in peace operations for sustainable peace.

    Thank you, President. And I thank, as others have done, the Secretary-General and our very distinguished and thought-provoking briefers this morning.

    Excellency, the United Kingdom is grateful to Ghana for your longstanding role in tackling armed conflict, and your significant contributions to UN peacekeeping. Ghana’s leadership has resulted in a safer world for many. We deeply value our close partnership.

    At the outset, I also want to congratulate the African Union and African colleagues on the promising step towards lasting peace in Ethiopia following the agreement announced yesterday, and we offer our continued support.

    President, as we have heard, conflicts are becoming increasingly complex.

    For UN Peace Operations to operate effectively in this environment, they need to adapt and better coordinate with wider UN and non-UN peacebuilding work.

    Specifically, I’d like to underline three points:

    Firstly, peace operations need the capabilities to understand conflict drivers and feed that analysis into the wider UN strategy and approach. The UK is proud to support UN Peace and Development Advisers, whose expertise could be used in Mission settings to support greater strategic and operational join-up across the UN’s work.

    Secondly, we need to incentivise and deliver a more integrated UN system to enable a more holistic approach as others have also said this morning. Integration scorecards piloted in Haiti, Somalia and Sudan, with UK funding, have made progress, but we need to scale this up. The Council can also drive this commitment; in the mandates it sets, and by encouraging the full use of the UN’s strategic planning and operating frameworks, and instruments such as the Global Focal Point for the Rule of Law.

    Thirdly, co-ordinated investment in peace is crucial. The Peacebuilding Fund, which the UK continues to support, is a key tool for bringing together different parts of the UN system. But it also needs strong leadership in Missions that encourages the wider UN Development system to step up investment in peace, and promotes partnerships with regional and international financial institutions. Both the Council and the Peacebuilding Commission can help drive this.

    Colleagues, the costs of conflict are self-evident.

    Investing in prevention is essential, as is strengthening women’s roles in conflict prevention and resolution for lasting peace and security. The UK is also proud to support the African Union’s Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention.

    President, a system-wide approach to sustaining peace is critical.

    The UK remains thankful to Ghana for this debate today, and remains committed to realising the promise of the 2016 “twin resolutions”.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : OSCE group of friends on safety of journalists – Joint statement to the OSCE [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : OSCE group of friends on safety of journalists – Joint statement to the OSCE [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 November 2022.

    Lithuanian Ambassador Vaidotas Verba delivers a Group of Friends statement in response to the report by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

    This statement is delivered on behalf of the Group of Friends on Safety of Journalists, which consists of the following member States: Austria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We thank the Representative for her report and the Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) for good cooperation in the past year.

    We fully support the autonomous mandate of the Representative and Ms Ribeiro in her execution of that mandate. We appreciate her clear stance regarding Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine. We also support her attention to the rest of our region – no country is immune to shortcomings. This is clearly demonstrated by the interventions in a total of 53 OSCE participating States reported by the RFoM so far this year.

    As participating States, we have reaffirmed that freedom of expression and media freedom are cornerstones of our common security. The RFoM is a vital instrument for the promotion of this fundamental principle, and we encourage all States to make good use of the toolbox created within the Representative’s mandate.

    Mr. Chair,

    2022 truly has been a dark year for the safety of journalists in our region. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has put a spotlight on the importance of the protection of journalists and media actors in conflict and war. Despite enormous risks, they strive to provide unbiased, trustworthy, and fact-based information from zones of conflict. We urgently call on the Russian Federation to immediately end its attacks on independent media at home and abroad and to respect the rights of journalists and media actors in accordance with international human rights law, international humanitarian law and OSCE commitments.

    The 2nd of November marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. While killings are the most extreme form of media censorship, journalists are also subjected to countless other threats – ranging from kidnapping, torture, and other physical attacks to harassment, particularly in the digital sphere. Furthermore, journalists also face intimidation from public authorities and political leaders in their own and other countries, such as illegitimate state surveillance, the use of SLAPPS or the denial of visa to travel for work.

    Threats of violence and attacks against journalists create a climate of fear for media actors, impeding the free circulation of information, opinions, and ideas for all. The disproportionate targeting of women journalists and other women media actors through structural sexual and gender-based violence, harassment and abuse is of deep concern and runs the risk of silencing women’s voices.

    All OSCE participating States have committed to protect journalists. Proper investigation and prosecution of perpetrators should go hand in hand with the positive obligations for participating States to promote a safe and enabling environment for independent media.

    Threats against media freedom, safety of journalists and freedom of expression is part of the backsliding of democracy that we are witnessing around the world. The right to freedom of expression and opinion, including the ability to access to reliable information are corner stones of a democratic society. There is indeed no security without media freedom.

    Dear Representative Ribeiro,

    We congratulate you, past Representatives and all your colleagues in the Office of the RFoM with the 25th anniversary. You can trust in the continued support of all participating States in the OSCE Group of Friends on Safety of Journalists.

    I thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Construction begins on new Single Living Accommodation at Imjin Barracks [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Construction begins on new Single Living Accommodation at Imjin Barracks [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 3 November 2022.

    Due for completion in Summer 2023, the £13m project at Imjin Barracks, procured by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) on behalf of the British Army, will deliver 69 new single ensuite bedrooms, with re-designed living and kitchen/diner facilities that will enhance the communal living experience for soldiers.

    The Imjin project is the first of a new wave of carbon net-zero constructions that will see major improvements to the standard of Single Living Accommodation (SLA) provided to Service people. The buildings are designed to enhance and support the needs of the military personnel that call them home.

    Director Basing and Infrastructure, Major General Richard Clements CBE was joined by Rob Vining from DIO and members of the project’s appointed contractor, REDS10, and technical service provider, Arcadis, to mark the beginning of construction of a new Single Living Accommodation (SLA) block at Imjin Barracks, Gloucester.

    Major General Richard Clements CBE, Director Basing & Infrastructure said:

    To be present at the start of construction activity at Imjin Barracks is a moment to be celebrated. Imjin is the first site to benefit under the Army’s Single Living Accommodation Programme which will invest £1.2bn and deliver 8,500 SLA bedspaces over the next 10 years. This is in addition to the 8,000 SLA bedspaces being delivered by the Defence Estate Optimisation, Army Programme. Investing in accommodation and the lived experience for our Service personnel is an immediate priority. We have listened to our soldiers and taken on board feedback to ensure a better lived experience for our people.

    The SLA Programme will prioritise the modernisation of under-invested, core sites that are to be retained across the Army estate. It will focus on removing the last of the multi-occupancy rooms whilst continuing to renew the oldest accommodation on the estate, raising the average Single Living Accommodation condition from ‘fair’ to ‘good’.

    Rob Vining, DIO, Deputy Head of Major Programmes and Projects (Army) said:

    I’m extremely proud to be able to mark this key milestone with the British Army, REDS10 and our technical service provider, Arcadis, as we break ground on the first of many new modern, carbon net-zero Single Living Accommodation blocks.

    Not only will the new blocks mean a massive improvement in the lived experience for our Service personnel, they also continue to demonstrate Defence’s commitment to carbon net-zero by 2050.

    I have been so impressed with the work my DIO colleagues and our Industry Partners have done so far and look forward to being here when we handover to the Army in Summer 2023.

    The block will be built by the appointed contractor Reds10 using modern methods of construction (MMC). This means 90% of the work can be completed off site for substantially faster delivery. The accommodation is designed to achieve very low energy usage intensity. The building will have solar panels, air source heat pumps for heating and hot water and a SMART building management system that learns how the building is used through a multitude of sensor data, ensuring that the building runs as efficiently as possible.

    Paul Ruddick, Chairman REDS10 added:

    It’s marvellous to be part of another project working with DIO and the British Army on improving the lived experience of our Armed Forces personnel. The triple-storey building at Imjin Barracks will not only harness MMC for faster delivery but also for a lower carbon, more energy efficient and higher quality product. Perhaps most crucially though, the design and construction are being driven by how the space will be used by Service personnel.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Bank Rate increased to 3% [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Bank Rate increased to 3% [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Bank of England on 3 November 2022.

    Monetary Policy Summary, November 2022

    The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) sets monetary policy to meet the 2% inflation target, and in a way that helps to sustain growth and employment. At its meeting ending on 2 November 2022, the MPC voted by a majority of 7-2 to increase Bank Rate by 0.75 percentage points, to 3%. One member preferred to increase Bank Rate by 0.5 percentage points, to 2.75%, and one member preferred to increase Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 2.5%.

    As set out in the accompanying November Monetary Policy Report, the MPC’s updated projections for activity and inflation describe a very challenging outlook for the UK economy.

    Since the MPC’s previous forecast, there have been significant developments in fiscal policy. Uncertainty around the outlook for UK retail energy prices has fallen to some extent following further government interventions. For the current November forecast, and consistent with the Government’s announcements on 17 October, the MPC’s working assumption is that some fiscal support continues beyond the current six-month period of the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG), generating a stylised path for household energy prices over the next two years. Such support would mechanically limit further increases in the energy component of CPI inflation significantly, and reduce its volatility. However, in boosting aggregate private demand relative to the August projections, the support could augment inflationary pressures in non-energy goods and services.

    Other fiscal measures announced up to and including 17 October also support demand relative to the August projection. The MPC’s forecast does not incorporate any further measures that may be announced in the Autumn Statement scheduled for 17 November.

    There have been large moves in UK asset prices since the August Report. These partly reflect global developments, although UK-specific factors have played a very significant role during this period. The MPC’s projections are conditioned on the path of Bank Rate implied by financial markets in the seven working days leading up to 25 October. That path rose to a peak of around 5¼% in 2023 Q3, before falling back. Overall, the path is around 2¼ percentage points higher over the next three years than in the August projection. The higher market yield curve has pushed new mortgage rates up sharply. Financial conditions have tightened materially, pushing down on activity over the forecast period.

    GDP is expected to decline by around ¾% during 2022 H2, in part reflecting the squeeze on real incomes from higher global energy and tradable goods prices. The fall in activity around the end of this year is expected to be less marked than in August, however, reflecting support from the EPG. The labour market remains tight, although there are signs that labour demand has begun to ease.

    CPI inflation was 10.1% in September and is projected to pick up to around 11% in 2022 Q4, lower than was expected in August, reflecting the impact of the EPG. Services CPI inflation has risen. Nominal annual private sector regular pay growth rose to 6.2% in the three months to August, 0.6 percentage points higher than expected in the August Report.

    In the MPC’s November central projection that is conditioned on the elevated path of market interest rates, GDP is projected to continue to fall throughout 2023 and 2024 H1, as high energy prices and materially tighter financial conditions weigh on spending. Four-quarter GDP growth picks up to around ¾% by the end of the projection. Although there is judged to be a significant margin of excess demand currently, continued weakness in spending is likely to lead to an increasing amount of economic slack emerging from the first half of next year, including a rising jobless rate. The LFS unemployment rate is expected to rise to just under 6½% by the end of the forecast period and aggregate slack increases to 3% of potential GDP.

    In the MPC’s central projection, CPI inflation starts to fall back from early next year as previous increases in energy prices drop out of the annual comparison. Domestic inflationary pressures remain strong in coming quarters and then subside. CPI inflation is projected to fall sharply to some way below the 2% target in two years’ time, and further below the target in three years’ time.

    In projections conditioned on the alternative assumption of constant interest rates at 3%, activity is stronger than in the MPC’s forecast conditioned on market rates, although GDP is still expected to be falling at the end of 2023. CPI inflation is projected to be a little above the target at the end of the second year. However, it falls more than a percentage point below the target at the end of the third year.

    The risks around both sets of inflation projections are judged to be skewed to the upside in the medium term, however, in part reflecting the possibility of more persistence in wage and price setting.

    The MPC’s remit is clear that the inflation target applies at all times, reflecting the primacy of price stability in the UK monetary policy framework. The framework recognises that there will be occasions when inflation will depart from the target as a result of shocks and disturbances. The economy has been subject to a succession of very large shocks. Monetary policy will ensure that, as the adjustment to these shocks continues, CPI inflation will return to the 2% target sustainably in the medium term. Monetary policy is also acting to ensure that longer-term inflation expectations are anchored at the 2% target.

    The labour market remains tight and there have been continuing signs of firmer inflation in domestic prices and wages that could indicate greater persistence. Currently announced fiscal policy, including the MPC’s working assumption about continued fiscal support for household energy prices, will also support demand, relative to the Committee’s projections in August. The Committee will take account of any additional information in the Government’s Autumn Statement at its December meeting and in its next forecast in February.

    In view of these considerations, the Committee has voted to increase Bank Rate by 0.75 percentage points, to 3%, at this meeting.

    The majority of the Committee judges that, should the economy evolve broadly in line with the latest Monetary Policy Report projections, further increases in Bank Rate may be required for a sustainable return of inflation to target, albeit to a peak lower than priced into financial markets.

    There are, however, considerable uncertainties around the outlook. The Committee continues to judge that, if the outlook suggests more persistent inflationary pressures, it will respond forcefully, as necessary.

    The MPC will take the actions necessary to return inflation to the 2% target sustainably in the medium term, in line with its remit. The Committee will, as always, consider and decide the appropriate level of Bank Rate at each meeting.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary visits Glasgow a year after COP26 to meet Scottish experts behind “the revolutionary new batteries of the future” [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary visits Glasgow a year after COP26 to meet Scottish experts behind “the revolutionary new batteries of the future” [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 November 2022.

    • Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Scotland one year on from COP26 in Glasgow. He went to the University of Strathclyde to meet scientists and engineers developing lower cost, recyclable battery tech
    • UK Government funded research aims to improve clean energy access for 25 million of world’s poorest people and save nearly 2.5million tonnes of carbon emissions
    • Foreign Secretary also visited the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s joint HQ in East Kilbride, which employs almost 1,000 staff in Scotland

    Foreign Secretary James Cleverly met with scientists and engineers developing revolutionary battery technologies in Glasgow – a year on from world leaders gathering in the city for the COP26 climate summit.

    The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is supporting the Faraday Institution and researchers from the University of Strathclyde and the University of St Andrews, through its Transforming Energy Access (TEA) programme to help offer lower cost, more recyclable battery technology to developing countries.

    The UK Government announced £126million of new scale-up funding for TEA during Energy Day at COP26 – focused on reducing carbon emissions by 2.5 million tonnes and securing better access to clean energy for 25 million people.

    Since TEA was launched in 2015, it has provided 16 million of the world’s poorest people with improved access to clean energy and generated 96,000 green jobs.

    The Foreign Secretary also visited the FCDO’s joint HQ at Abercrombie House, in East Kilbride, where almost 1,000 staff are at the heart of shaping and delivering UK foreign policy on issues such as climate change, including through the TEA programme.

    Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

    Today’s visit is hugely important for me, to see first-hand how people in Scotland are building on the legacy of the UK’s COP Presidency in Glasgow to make progress in the fight against climate change.

    Scotland is famous as an innovation superpower. It has given the world the television, telephone and penicillin, so it was wonderful to learn how Scottish scientists are continuing this rich tradition to develop the revolutionary new batteries of the future fuelled by cleaner energy.

    The UK Government is proud to support vital work at the universities of Strathclyde and St Andrews which will help developing countries to access battery technologies to drive green growth and give millions a ladder out of poverty.

    Nearly a tenth of the world’s population – 733 million people – do not have access to the electricity they need to light their homes, refrigerate their food, or keep cool in rising temperatures. Around 2.4billion people rely on dirty biomass fuels such as charcoal, firewood, or animal waste for cooking.

    The Foreign Secretary used his COP26 anniversary visit to witness the start of refurbishment work at the FCDO’s joint HQ in East Kilbride.

    The Foreign Secretary was shown a research project led by the University of Strathclyde, which is developing a low-cost battery which is expected to last longer and be more easily recycled.

    St Andrews demonstrated battery technology made from common salt, which could enable a move away from materials such as lithium and cobalt which are more expensive, rarer and harder on the environment to source.

    Both technologies are expected to be ready to test this year.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Report by OSCE’s Representative on Freedom of the Media – UK response [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Report by OSCE’s Representative on Freedom of the Media – UK response [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 November 2022.

    Ambassador Neil Bush laments the deterioration of media freedom in the OSCE region, including in Russia and following Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

    Thank you Mr Chair and thank you Ms Ribeiro for your report and for yesterday’s event marking 25 years of your important institution.

    Media freedom is an essential part of a healthy information ecosystem. The free flow of independently generated and evidence based information is the scaffolding for building democracy. We agree with you that media literacy is essential. People must be able to understand the role media plays in supporting democracy and security and be able to critically assess and use information. Disinformation leads to the polarisation of society and makes societies more insecure.

    Your report, rightly focused on the impact of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine – your second report this year delivered against the backdrop of this war. In Ukraine, in those areas under temporary Russian control, journalists continue to be targeted, with at least eight killed and 18 kidnapped for reporting the facts of the continuing invasion.

    We will never recognise Russia’s illegal attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory, nor the imposition of Russian legislation that seeks to deny the rights to freedom of opinion and expression. The rights of the people living and working in those regions under temporary Russian control remain protected under international human rights law. Independent journalists in those regions now face even greater challenges, yet their work remains as vital as ever, including efforts to ensure accountability.

    Mr Chair, the report by the OSCE’s Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) today also highlights in the Russian Federation the most severe deterioration of media freedom in the OSCE region in the past 25 years. An internal war of repression accompanying, and enabling, the external war of aggression in Ukraine. The Moscow Mechanism report on Russia outlines censorship, closure of independent media and websites, banning of foreign media, treason and extremism charges against Russian journalists for doing their legitimate work.

    The actions of the Russian Government are not compatible with their obligations under international law and their OSCE commitments. They are not compatible with a proper functioning democracy. We support your call on Russia to fulfil its OSCE principles and commitments and ensure an enabling environment for media to freely report on matters of public interest without undue interference, threats and intimidation.

    Belarus too remains in a downward spiral. The report found a clear pattern of systematic repression against independent journalism: judicial reprisals, arrests, convictions behind closed doors on trumped up charges, and lengthy imprisonments. Ms Ribeiro, we echo your call on Belarus “to stop prosecuting media workers as a deliberate way of sowing fear and silencing free voices.”

    We greatly value your important work across the whole OSCE region, including in the Western Balkans and Central Asia, and on key topics such as the safety of journalists, on restrictive measures at the national level that limit media freedom, and on the dangers of misinformation and disinformation.

    Yesterday we marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, yet, Ms Ribeiro; you describe the situation in our region as bleak. We cannot afford to be indifferent when journalists and media workers are killed, attacked, threatened or harassed. We must be relentless and determined to stamp this out.

    We point to the 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Safety of Journalists. This Decision has authority. Adopted by consensus. It is a road map for us all to provide a safe and enabling environment for journalists, and to ensure our laws, policy and practice fully comply with international human rights law and OSCE Commitments.

    I would like to thank all those who contributed to the success of this year’s Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw. We heard from journalists and civil society actors fighting for improved media freedom across the OSCE region. The UK remains committed to continuing this dialogue and working with your office to implement some of the recommendations from the conference to ensure media freedom is protected and journalists are able to operate safely across the OSCE region.

    Ms Ribeiro – we thank you for all the many activities that you are carrying out to fulfil your mandate. We all share the responsibility to respond and end impunity for crimes against journalists. The UK is committed to this.

    Thank you Mr Chair.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Call for Evidence – An inspection of the Home Office’s Afghan resettlement schemes [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Call for Evidence – An inspection of the Home Office’s Afghan resettlement schemes [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 3 November 2022.

    In line with his 2022-23 inspection plan, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has commenced an inspection of the Home Office’s Afghan resettlement schemes

    This inspection will examine the effectiveness, efficiency and consistency of the Home Office’s processing of applications to Afghan resettlement schemes.

    The Independent Chief Inspector invites anyone with knowledge or experience of applying to the schemes to submit evidence to inform this inspection and welcomes views on what is working well and what could be improved. He would be particularly interested to hear from those with first-hand experience of applying to the schemes.

    The ICIBI is trialling a new system which will allow responses to be submitted securely via a simple online form. Please click here to submit your response.

    This call for evidence will remain open for three weeks until 27 November 2022.

    Please note: The ICIBI’s statutory remit does not extend to investigating or making decisions about individual applications. This remains a Home Office responsibility. However, the Chief Inspector can take an interest in individual cases to the extent that they illustrate or point to systemic problems.

    David Neal, Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, November 2022.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Difficult budget decisions needed to balance the books, warns Holyrood’s Finance Committee [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Difficult budget decisions needed to balance the books, warns Holyrood’s Finance Committee [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Parliament on 3 November 2022.

    A Holyrood committee has warned of difficult tax and spending decisions in the budget if the Scottish Government is to balance the books and address both the cost of living crisis and the lasting impact of Covid.

    In a report published today, the Finance and Public Administration Committee’s says an ‘open and honest debate’ with the public needs to be fostered on how to balance spending priorities and taxation.

    In its report, the Committee notes that public sector pay rises will be funded, at least in part, through a headcount reduction in the public sector, but calls on the Scottish Government to ensure this is done in a co-ordinated way that minimises the impact on public services.

    The report adds it is also now time for the UK Government to concentrate on putting in place measures to bring more stability to the UK economy and recognise the impact of inflation on the Scottish block grant.

    Finance and Public Administration Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson said:

    “Our Committee accepts that the Scottish Government faces difficult choices in balancing its approaches to spending and taxation – especially if it’s to maintain financial sustainability and support households and businesses through the cost of living crisis.

    “An open and honest debate with the public about how services and priorities are funded is now needed, including on the role of taxation in funding wider policy benefits for society.”

    On the challenges facing the public sector, Mr Gibson said:

    “We acknowledge the challenge the Scottish Government faces in identifying additional money to fund public sector pay rises which respond to inflation.

    “The UK Government should also recognise the impact of inflation on the Scottish block grant.

    “We ask for assurances from the Scottish Government that it will approach reducing the public sector headcount in a systematic, transparent, and co-ordinated way. This should be done in tandem with the public service reform agenda, with a view to minimising any impact on the delivery of public services.”

    On UK economic stability, Mr Gibson added:

    “As we say in our report, it is now time for the UK Government to concentrate on putting in place measures to bring more stability to the UK economy.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : ‘Perfect storm’ of financial pressure facing Scotland’s cultural sector [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : ‘Perfect storm’ of financial pressure facing Scotland’s cultural sector [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Parliament on 31 October 2022.

    A ‘perfect storm’ of financial pressure is being faced by Scotland’s cultural sector. This is the warning from the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee.

    In a report published today, the Committee looks ahead to the Scottish Government’s 2023-24 budget and the impact of budgetary decisions on Scotland’s culture sector. It calls on increased urgency to address budget pressures through innovative approaches to funding.

    The report underlines recommendations made by the Committee during previous budget scrutiny. It calls for these innovate approaches to be accelerated in order to address the difficulties being faced.

    During its consideration, the Committee heard the challenges facing that sector have become more acute as it struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and further compounded by the cost of living crisis following on from longer term budget pressures. The Committee has recommended taking an innovative approach to budgeting including greater use of public and private investment as well as multiyear funding.

    The Committee also repeats its call from last year for the mainstreaming of the culture budget. It also asks the Scottish Government for updates on embedding culture more broadly as part its plans for a wellbeing economy. This would take into account the contribution which preventative spend in areas like the arts and other cultural activities makes towards health and wellbeing.

    Speaking as the report launched, the Committee Convener Clare Adamson MSP said:

    “Scotland’s cultural sector plays a vital role in Scottish life. But we heard blunt warnings from those within the sector that stark choices lie ahead.

    “Increased operating costs come at a time when most cultural venues are still struggling to recover from the pandemic, and without truly innovative approaches to funding, there is a real danger that Scotland’s skilled cultural workforce will be lost along with some of our best loved cultural icons.

    “There are no doubt considerable pressures across all areas of the Scottish Government budget, and there are no easy choices. But the current situation provides an opportunity to accelerate these innovative solutions. The Scottish Government must take action to protect this fundamental part of our society.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Presiding Officer leads Holyrood delegation to strengthen links with Nordic Council [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Presiding Officer leads Holyrood delegation to strengthen links with Nordic Council [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Scottish Parliament on 31 October 2022.