There will be a reduction of 7% in the revenue budget for Historic Scotland (HS) under the budget proposed.
HS considers this can be absorbed through the merging of priorities to protect front-line service delivery through the achievement of efficiencies as:
- Grant funding levels for 2011/12 protected at 2010/11 levels – HS will honour any existing grant budget approvals into 11/12 (given that it can take time to draw down grant)
- HS believe they can absorb the 7% cut through reviewing income charges, merging priorities and protecting frontline services through efficiency reviews
- Grant reviews will not focus on how much is spent – but on where to ensure spend on the historic built environment is clearly in line with Government priorities
- There will be a commitment to continue a voluntary sector grants programme but with an aim to review the number of bodies to ensure there are no overlaps. There will be a review at the number of bodies in the historic built environment with the aim to find efficiencies to free up monies to put back into grant funding for front line services.
The Scottish Government reports as follows:
The Scottish Government has set out a Culture and External Affairs Budget which protects support for the creative industries and access to high-quality cultural experiences, according to Minister for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop.
She said: ‘In this portfolio, we are prioritising spending to minimise the impact on key cultural organisations. Our support for the creative industries, tourism and high-quality cultural experiences will help to secure economic recovery.’
‘The tangible outcome of the reduction in our overall budget will be a severely limited ability for the Government to respond to requests during the year to support emerging opportunities or new initiatives. This lack of flexibility means that almost all cultural spend will be through the organisations we fund and I am challenging them to do more with what they receive and continue to strive for more efficiency.’
‘While the capital budget is reducing significantly, our investment over the past four years in major projects will see a clutch of landmark national attractions open in 2011, enhancing Scotland’s attraction to visitors. The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum will be a wonderful addition to the tourist and cultural experience; redevelopments of the National Portrait Gallery and the Royal Museum will open up more of the riches of our National Collections; and the impressive Stirling Palace renovation project will be completed. We will also provide support to the V&A at Dundee and remain committed to our #5 million contribution to the redevelopment of the Bannockburn visitor centre.’
Historic Scotland News Release: LINK
