Royal Scottish National Orchestra lease agreement with Glasgow Life: FOI release

Information requested

Current arrangement of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's (RSNO) lease agreement with Glasgow Life for the New Auditorium and services due to SDA Media ltd.

1. (i) "If the Scottish Government still claims its funding is not included in this lease agreement."

2. (ii) "The benefit to the public of tax payers money being used to subsidise commercial recording and breaking the principals of market competition" and "the details of the distribution of profits from SDA media and how this benefits the tax payer and the RSNO."

3. (iii) "A copy of the lease agreement to see the specific terms."

Response

(i) I can confirm that no Scottish Government funding is being used towards the commercial film and TV recordings. RSNO invoice the client (this includes SDA Media) for the full cost of the musician salaries plus management fees. These are then paid for by the client.

(ii) Scottish Government funding to the RSNO is fit for the purposes as specifically outlined in their grant offer letter and is therefore not being used by the RSNO to subsidise commercial film and TV recordings.

One of the criteria that the RSNO has to meet and maintain in order to be a National Performing Company is to demonstrate that they have endeavoured to achieve a year-on-year increase in private sponsorship and other non-public income, together with a genuine corporate commitment to developing this avenue of funding and thereby reducing the proportion of the Company’s income from the public purse.

(iii) The New Auditorium is owned by Glasgow Life and leased by the RSNO. Costs for hire of the New Auditorium are always passed onto the clients by the RSNO. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested regarding the lease agreement. 

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