10% cut to Creative Scotland's 2023-24 budget: FOI release

Information requested

SG to provide information held by the Scottish Government on whether a 10% cut to Creative Scotland's 2023-24 budget did, or did not, happen.

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

On 15 December 2022 the Scottish Government published its draft budget for 2023/2024. Due to the Scottish Government having to make difficult choices to live within budgets this did not include £6.6m to Creative Scotland for the National Lottery Shortfall funding. On 21 February 2023 the Scottish Government announced its commitment to reinstate £6.6m for Creative Scotland for 2023-24 to ensure their accumulated lottery funding reserves can supplement rather than replace grant funding.

As a result of rising costs and pressure on budgets across government, the Scottish Government were unable to provide the ongoing shortfall in 2023/2024. The Creative Scotland Board agreed on 27 September 2023 to use £6.6m of Creative Scotland’s National Lottery reserves to ensure all regularly funded organisations payments were met in full as provided for in the 2023-24 Funding Agreement.

The Scottish Government has provided Creative Scotland with £6.6m for the 2023/2024 National Lottery Shortfall funding in the 2024/2025 financial year.

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