Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you for joining us. The session has been very informative.

To follow on from Dr Allan’s questions, I am interested to hear a bit more about the touring that we will—we hope—be able to start seeing happening in Scotland and about your thoughts on the fund that the Scottish Government introduced through the programme for government to get musicians and theatre companies out to more rural areas. They, too, are crying out for much more culture and creativity to come back to them.

I live on Islay, where the very successful Cantilena festival brings in young musicians. I am interested to hear what the MU is doing to support young musicians again. It is clear that, through lockdown, their education will have been taking place in their own rooms and online. What support structures are needed to ensure that the throughput of emerging artists in Scotland continues?

Thank you for attending, cabinet secretary. Following on from Karen Adam’s question, mine is about the local ability to process fish. Given Brexit and its impact on our local inshore fishermen, how can the Scottish Government support them to change their market from Europe to Scotland, and what support are you giving them?

It was an interesting couple of days on Islay and Colonsay, and I know that you visited Shetland after the Argyll and Bute islands. I think that you will have picked up that each island is different, as I have certainly done from visiting a wide array of islands in my constituency. I was pleased to hear you talk about a tailored approach to agriculture and fisheries, and I hope that the same tailored approach will be taken with regard to islands, too, because, as you have highlighted, different islands have different needs. For example, Jura has benefited hugely in the past 10 years from having a clear community action plan, but it has now reached the point at which there is nobody with free volunteer time to continue the development of the island. Comparing that situation with the situation on other islands such as Colonsay, which you mentioned, demonstrates the need for different approaches.

I would like to understand a bit more about the infrastructure spend that was highlighted yesterday, and I would like to know more about carbon neutral islands, which is an important issue across Argyll and Bute and other island communities. For example, Tiree has a community wind turbine that has given the island a strong funding base that allows people there to do more in their communities. I am interested to know more about the different stages that various islands are at in that regard and about how the piloting will work.

That was a very interesting discussion, but I would like to shift us away from talking about culture in the big urban areas. I would like to know your thoughts on culture in more rural areas, with their smaller museums, and how people access culture there. Given the growth in staycations, the percentage of people who come out to rural Scotland is much higher. I would also like you to say a wee bit about your thoughts on Gaelic and its importance to Scottish culture.

Including those in my constituency.

Great. What a fantastic few weeks you have had—very busy.

You touched on relationships with our own citizens going to Europe and vice versa. Yesterday at the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee, we heard evidence from representatives of the food and drink sector, and they have requested short-term Covid recovery visas. I am interested to know what work you have been doing to support the sector on that.

Separately from that but connected, I met some musicians, and they, too, are looking for improved access to Europe and for European musicians to be able to come here as well.

He lives in Oban.

In your opening remarks, you talked about a partnership of friends. I think that that was specifically with regard to the United Kingdom, but could you say what you have been doing across the wider partnership of friends that we could have, whether that be in Europe for the rest of the world?

I thank Professor Brennan for her comments. I am very aware of the work that happened in Argyll and Bute, which was done across the local authorities and with some really strong local groups. It also included a lot of work with local distilleries, which Fraser Grieve mentioned. He highlighted the level of employment in distilleries across Scotland, but I ask him to go into more detail on their plans with regard to sustainability and emissions, in relation not just to electricity, but to the heat that is provided. I think that it represents about 88 per cent of distilleries’ usage.

You paint quite a dark picture, Colin. Living on an island, I know how important our local shops are: they are absolutely central to rural communities across Scotland. Throughout the pandemic, they showed fleetness of foot by changing where they got deliveries from, getting more local produce and working with different people and suppliers. Given what you have just said, I am interested to know how you will continue to ensure that that happens.

In the previous evidence session, we had stark warnings about Christmas. I am interested to know what improvements you are making to help if we are still in this situation by then.