1Background to our inquiry
1.Scotland’s creative industries are an international success story, having produced some of the world’s best creative talent and some of the world’s best-selling creative content. Scotland also hosts the world’s largest arts festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which brings together performers and audiences from across Scotland, the UK and the world.
Our inquiry
2.The creative industries in Scotland have been tremendously successful, and they will no doubt continue to be so. For the potential of these industries to be maximised, however, it is essential that industry views are taken into account by both the UK and Scottish governments in order to create the right policy framework for supporting creative enterprises and benefitting the Scottish economy and Scotland’s reputation as a centre of creative talent.
3.The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee recently held an inquiry into the economic impact of the creative industries in Scotland, looking at the film, TV and video games industries, and produced a report in March 2015.1 Their work focused on devolved areas of responsibility but also considered the impact of reserved matters such as tax reliefs, immigration and broadcasting. The Scottish Government responded to the report in May 2015, accepting a number of their recommendations and committing to take action on them.2
4.We launched our inquiry into the creative industries in Scotland to focus on some of the reserved policy areas highlighted by the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee and to look at how the interests of the creative industries in Scotland are represented at a UK-level.3 As part of our inquiry, we held evidence sessions in Dundee, one of the UK’s key hubs for the computer games industry, Glasgow, the broadcasting centre of Scotland, and in Westminster. We are grateful to all those who attended our meetings in Scotland and London, and to those who submitted written evidence.4
5.We note the recent work of the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee into the economic contribution of the creative industries in Scotland, and the positive engagement that Committee has had from the Scottish Government. We hope that we will have a similarly productive response from the UK Government in relation to the findings of this report.
Responsibility for the creative industries
6.Responsibility for the policy areas affecting the creative industries in Scotland is split between the UK and Scottish governments. Culture and heritage are the responsibilities of the Scottish Government, and it takes the lead on direct support for the creative industries. The Scottish Government also has responsibility for the related areas of skills and higher education. Broadcasting, creative tax reliefs and intellectual property are all reserved matters, and the responsibility of the UK Government. The UK Government also has overall responsibility for UK trade and industry.
1 Scottish Parliament, Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, The economic impact of the film, TV and video games industries, March 2015
2 Scottish Government, Scottish Government response to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee Inquiry into the Economic Impact of Scotland’s Creative Industries, May 2015
3 The full terms of reference for this inquiry are available online: Creative industries in Scotland terms of reference, Scottish Affairs Committee, July 2015
4 A full list of those who gave evidence to the Committee is available on pages 40–41.
© Parliamentary copyright 2015
Prepared 12 January 2016