6UK Government engagement
106.As many of the policy tools affecting the creative industries in Scotland are reserved—which we have looked at in the previous chapters—effective engagement between the UK Government and Scottish Government, and the UK Government and creative enterprises based in Scotland, is essential. We consider both of these issues below.
The Creative Industries Council
107.One serious gap we have identified in how the UK Government considers the needs of the creative industries in Scotland is the exclusion of Scotland from the Creative Industries Council (CIC), despite it being the main means by which UK Government “engages with industry at a strategic level.” The evidence we received from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport stated that the Council has an England-only remit because “most of the issues it discusses are devolved”.154 The CIC does, however, cover a number of reserved or partially reserved issues such as intellectual property and export markets.
108.Despite the CIC’s England-only remit, Ed Vaizey MP told us that “there is a standing invitation to all the devolved Administrations to attend to feed in policy views”.155 Janet Archer, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland, told us she had attended two meetings of the CIC as an observer, and that “some of the issues that are discussed in that meeting are of relevance to Scotland”. She supported the proposition that there should be a place on the CIC for a member to represent Scotland’s creative sector.156
109.A number of submissions to the Committee have highlighted the importance of the CIC as a means of engaging with the UK Government, and suggested that the creative industries in Scotland would benefit either from having a full place on the CIC or from a similar body being set up for Scotland.157 Fiona Hyslop MSP told us that there should be a permanent Scottish representative on the Council,158 and also said that she had instructed officials to look at the development of a creative industries advisory group, and that she would “would like it to be able to co-ordinate with the Creative Industries Council”.159
110.When we asked Ed Vaizey MP about Scottish representation on the CIC, he told us:
We have invited the devolved Administrations to come as observers and we obviously asked Janet Archer to come as an observer. I am prepared to countenance formal representation.160
111.The Creative Industries Council is widely regarded as a useful body for representatives of the creative industries to engage with the UK Government. It is not at all clear, given the UK-wide nature of the Council’s members and the reserved nature of many of the policy areas it considers, why this body has an England-only remit. What is clear is that the creative industries in Scotland have been at a disadvantage, as a result of exclusion from the Council, in making representations to the UK Government on reserved policy matters. We welcome the Minister’s openness to permanent Scottish representation on the Council.
112.We recommend that the membership of the Creative Industries Council be expanded to include Creative Scotland as a full member of the council, so that the interests of creative enterprises in Scotland can be represented on reserved matters such as intellectual property and creative tax reliefs. Further, given the Council’s consideration of a number of reserved policy areas, we also recommend that the Government reconsider the “England-only” remit of the Council to reflect the interests of other parts of the UK in these policy areas.
Coordination between the UK and Scottish governments
113.When asked about his relationship with his counterparts in the Scottish Government, Ed Vaizey MP said:
I think I have a pretty good relationship with the Scottish Government Culture Minister, Fiona Hyslop. We regularly exchange correspondence and we meet relatively regularly. […] As you know, we have the Creative Industries Council, where there is a standing invitation to all the devolved Administrations to attend to feed in policy views, and Janet Archer from Creative Scotland also attends that on a regular basis. I think there is a pretty porous relationship.161
114.The Scottish Government acknowledged that there was some engagement from the UK government but told us that they would like to see greater engagement on issues such as immigration, intellectual property and tax reliefs, where the interests of Scotland might differ to those of other parts of the UK. Their evidence stated:
as Culture is devolved, we would wish to see much greater engagement between the UK Government and Scottish Government in terms of reserved areas which, when driven by the needs of the wider UK and implemented, may be detrimental to the interests of Scotland.162
Expanding on this point, Fiona Hyslop MSP told us: “tax credits, the digital single market and intellectual property are three areas that are reserved where we could benefit from the co-ordination and the responsiveness. I would encourage working with the UK on this aspect.”163
115.We have considered a wide range of policy areas which affect the creative industries in Scotland, and made specific recommendations, intended to improve support for and representation of the creative industries in Scotland. The central theme arising from our inquiry was that the mix of devolved and reserved policy areas, and range of UK and Scottish agencies and bodies involved in supporting and representing the creative industries, means that effective engagement between the UK and Scottish governments, and both governments and industry in Scotland, is essential. The UK and Scottish governments must work together and work with Scottish industry to take forward the recommendations we have set out in this report, in order to create an environment which enables the creative industries in Scotland to achieve their enormous potential.
116.Given the mix of devolved and reserved policy areas affecting the creative industries, it is essential that the UK and Scottish governments coordinate effectively. We recommend that, when considering policy affecting the creative industries, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills consult with the Scottish Government on the impact on Scotland and needs of the creative industries in Scotland. We also recommend that the Scotland Office, given its responsibility for representing Scottish interests within the UK government, ensure that the Scottish Government is able to make representations to the UK Government regarding reserved policy areas which affect the creative industries in Scotland. In preparing a response to this report, the UK Government should consult with the Scottish Government on the recommendations we have made.
155 Q258
156 Qq179-81
158 Q209
159 Q208
160 Q288
161 Q258
163 Q207
© Parliamentary copyright 2015
Prepared 12 January 2016