Seòmar agus comataidhean

Good morning, and a warm welcome to the 23rd meeting of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee in 2025. We have received apologies from Neil Bibby.

Our first agenda item is to continue taking evidence as part of our pre-budget scrutiny for 2026-27. We are joined in the room by Rachael Browning, director of programme and policy at Art Fund; Lewis Coenen-Rowe, culture/SHIFT manager at Culture for Climate Scotland; Alison Nolan, chief executive officer at the Scottish Library and Information Council; and Tamara Rogovic, president of the Scottish Artists Union. A warm welcome to you all.

I will start by asking about the budget scrutiny so far. We have continually been talking about alternative funding approaches to support culture and the heritage sector. Among the themes that have been covered are multiyear funding, cross-portfolio working and the percentage for the arts scheme. Could you give us a view on what progress has been made here? What alternative approaches should the Scottish Government be pursuing to support the sector more effectively, specifically with the climate change challenges that have been placed on the sector?

The bill opens up many questions. In Belhaven park, which is a memorial park, the trees were planted by Lord Belhaven at the time of the Napoleonic wars and so were a war memorial in themselves, although not necessarily of the equivalent description.

My area is post-industrial, and I mentioned that I have family members who lost their lives in the first world war. However, my grandfather did not go to war, because he was a steel worker, and we now have a steel workers memorial in my constituency. The miners’ war efforts were the same, and a statue paying tribute to the mining disaster was stolen from Auchengeich. Although I understand that it is a slightly different situation for veterans and their families, would those who contributed to the war effort also be protected by the bill?

The bill opens up many questions. In Belhaven park, which is a memorial park, the trees were planted by Lord Belhaven at the time of the Napoleonic wars and so were a war memorial in themselves, although not necessarily of the equivalent description.

My area is post-industrial, and I mentioned that I have family members who lost their lives in the first world war. However, my grandfather did not go to war, because he was a steel worker, and we now have a steel workers memorial in my constituency. The miners’ war efforts were the same, and a statue paying tribute to the mining disaster was stolen from Auchengeich. Although I understand that it is a slightly different situation for veterans and their families, would those who contributed to the war effort also be protected by the bill?

Under our next agenda item, we will take evidence on the Desecration of War Memorials (Scotland) Bill. We are joined in the room by Meghan Gallacher MSP, the proposer and member in charge of the bill, and, from the Scottish Parliament, Neil Stewart, a senior clerk in the non-Government bills unit; Sean Taheny, an assistant clerk in the non-Government bills unit; and Kirsty Lauder, a solicitor from legal services.

Before we move to questions from members, I invite Ms Gallacher to make a short opening statement.

Thank you. I will reflect on what you have said. Two previous petitions have urged the Scottish Government to introduce legislation that recognises the desecration or vandalism of war memorials as a specific offence. Most recently, the Scottish Government said:

“there is legislation currently in place to deal with the vandalism and desecration of statues and memorials, including war memorials, and the Scottish Government has no current plans to introduce new legislation for the specific purpose requested in the petition.”

Have things changed more recently? Why do you think that now is the time to revisit the issue?

Thank you. We will move on to questions from the committee.

Before we continue, I feel that I need to declare an interest, given that you have mentioned Duchess of Hamilton park. My great-uncle’s name was on the war memorial that was desecrated, and I was a supporter of the “Nae Pasaran!” fundraising and the trade unionists who established that memorial, which is in my constituency.

I now bring in Mr Kerr.

I want to follow up on the issue that is at the heart of my concern at the moment, which is about the definition of a war memorial. In Wishaw, we have a covenanters memorial. Obviously, there are no names associated with that, but would that be considered a war memorial? Because of its position in a country park, it is quite frequently defaced.

Good morning. I warmly welcome everyone to the 21st meeting in 2025 of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee. Our first agenda item is a declaration of interests. As a result of a membership change, we welcome Jamie Halcro Johnston to the committee. We extend our thanks to Alexander Stewart for his contribution to the committee’s work, and we wish him well in his new role. I invite Jamie Halcro Johnston to declare any interests.

Thank you.