Scottish Budget 2022 to 2023

Chapter 11 Constitution, External Affairs & Culture Portfolio

Portfolio Responsibilities

The Constitution, External Affairs & Culture (CEAC) portfolio engages at home and internationally to enhance Scotland’s reputation, increase economic success, prosperity and wellbeing, and promote Scotland as a great place to live, visit, work, study and do business.

We are committed to being a good global citizen and to playing our part in tackling global challenges, including climate change, poverty, injustice and inequality. We want to ensure Scotland is an open and welcoming nation for people and their families to live and work in, and to make a positive contribution to our country. Across our international and European relationships - supported by the work of our external network of offices - we will continue our commitment to internationalisation by building on relationships, celebrating cultural, educational and ancestral connections, and exchanging policy ideas to address shared challenges, ensuring Scotland remains a valued and well-connected nation. We will continue to demonstrate our commitment to EU values, our alignment with EU policy priorities, and make the necessary preparations for a Scottish referendum and subsequently for re-joining the EU as an independent member state.

Our diverse and evolving cultural sector is central to our aspirations as a nation. Scotland’s creativity contributes to the economy and is increasingly recognised as essential to our health and wellbeing. We will continue to support creative expression in the arts and support world-class collections, ensuring these are cared for and enjoyed by new and diverse audiences as well as future generations right across Scotland. We will continue to promote access to our historic environment, and high quality places and buildings to support communities contributing principally to the culture, and also Net Zero, national outcomes. Our Major Events budget continues to support a strong and inspirational programme of events and festivals each year that generates business, creates jobs and boosts the economy whilst delivering benefits to communities across the country, and promoting Scotland across the world. The portfolio also supports a range of Royal and Ceremonial matters within Scotland.

Spending Plans

Constitution, External Affairs and Culture intended contributions to the National Outcomes

Primary National Outcomes

• Communities
• Culture
• International

Secondary National Outcomes

• Economy
• Poverty
• Children and Young People
• Education
• Fair Work and Business
• Health
• Environment
• Human Rights

For further information on the purpose of the portfolio budget, and contributions to national outcomes (including impacts of spend on equality of outcome) please refer to the relevant portfolio annex in the published Equality and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement.