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A wide range of strategic policies are being deployed to this end across the Executive and its cultural and enterprise agencies. In addition, the Cultural Commission has creativity as a central concern and will make its recommendations to Scottish ministers in summer 2005. However, improving the climate for creativity is an activity that is not time limited but rather needs to be continuously addressed in the light of changing social, cultural, technological and economic circumstances.

From April 2005, Architecture and Design Scotland will become the nation’s champion for good architecture and design in the built environment, taking over and expanding the present activities of the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland. The aim of Architecture and Design Scotland will be to inspire higher design quality across the public and private sectors, so as to improve the overall quality of our built environment.

Historic Scotland is responsible for safeguarding the nation’s historic built environment, and the Executive’s investment in Historic Scotland will increase from £39.6 million in 2004-05 to £47.7 million in 2007-08. Part of this increased funding will be used to boost Historic Scotland’s spending on Historic Building Repair Grants, which support the repair of Scotland’s most important historic buildings and areas, and the enhancement of the quality of Scotland’s historic city centres.

The Festival City Theatre’s Trust has both met and corresponded with the Executive at ministerial and official level in connection with the King’s Theatre. While the Executive recognises the important part that the King’s Theatre plays in the cultural life of the city, it is for the City of EdinburghCouncil to consider the Theatre within the context of its own strategic needs.

The department sent the Executive an advance copy of the panel’s report and conveyed the views which have now been published on its website (http://www.culture.gov.uk Press Notice 155/04 of 24 November 2004).

Ministers are committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate in cultural activities. The Scottish Arts Council currently provides annual support for five organisations which work primarily with arts and disability. (Table illustrates a breakdown of funding over the last five years). The European Year of Disabled People 2003 also saw the Executive’s cultural agencies and national institutions invest in arts and disability projectsthroughout the year.

	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	Total
Theatre Workshop	135,092	215,749	139,745	149,560	529,430	1,169,572
Project Ability	37,225	46,950	168,692	186,838	86,735	529,440
Artlink Edinburgh	36,500	60,020	105,427	35,680	106,447	344,074
Artlink Central	12,640	10,864	53,632	17,133	48,824	143,096
Lung Ha’s	24,000	67,120	33,000	37,526	123,600	285,246

Source: Arts and Disability 2000-2004, a review, 2004, Scottish Arts Council.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-12457, answered on 7 December 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-12457, answered on 7 December 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

This is an operational matter for the commission. However, the Scottish Executive has published the Cultural Commission’s Work Plan, which contains details of the commission’s budget, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34513). The Executive intends to publish a statement of expenditure against budget in due course.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-12465, answered on 7 December 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-12017, answered on 19 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.