Scottish Government spend on arts and culture: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002


Information requested

1. A level 3 outturn of Scottish Government spend on arts and culture from 2013/14 to 2024/25 for the following budget lines:

1. Creative Scotland and Other Arts
2. Creative Scotland
3. Other Arts and Activity
4. Cultural Collections
5. National Cultural Collections
6. National Performing Companies
7. Culture, Tourism and Major Events Advice and Policy
8. Historic Scotland
9. Historic Environment Scotland

2. Full copies of the confirmed budgets from 2013/14 to 2025/26.

Response

I will respond to each of your queries in turn.

1. A full level 3 outturn of the Scottish Government’s spend on arts and culture for the requested period has been provided in ATTACHMENT A.

2. The distinction between draft budgets and final budgets can be partially clarified with an explanation of how figures are presented in the Budget Bill. While the Bill document contains draft allocations for the upcoming financial year, they also, as standard, contain the confirmed budgets for the preceeding financial years.

Under section 25(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), we do not have to provide information which is already reasonably accessible to you. Confirmed allocations for the requested period up to 2025/26 are publically available in in the summary of budgeted annual expenditure on the Scottish Government website. Please find the following links for information going back to 2013/14:

2026/27: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2026-2027/documents/ 
2025/26: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2025-2026/ 
2024/25: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20240425191853/https:/www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2024-25/documents/ 
2023/24: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20240123140540/http:/www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-budget-2023-to-2024-documents/ 
2022/23: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20240430124559/https:/www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-budget-2022-to-2023-documents/ 
2021/22: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20240429135915/https:/www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-budget-2021-to-2022-documents/ 
2020/21: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20240430124606/https:/www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-budget-2020-to-2021-documents/ 
2019/20: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20240430124609/https:/www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-budget-2019-to-2020-documents/ 
2018/19: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-draft-budget-2018-19/documents/ 
2017/18: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-budget-draft-budget-2017-18/documents/ 
2016/17: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/3000/https:/www.gov.scot/Resource/0049/00491140.pdf 
2015/16: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/3/archive2021.parliament.scot/S4_EqualOpportunitiesCommittee/General%20Documents/SG_draft_budget.pdf 
2014/15: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/3/archive2021.parliament.scot/S4_EqualOpportunitiesCommittee/General%20Documents/11_September_2013_-_published_draft_Budget_2014-15.pdf 
2013/14: https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20180112104620mp_/http:/www.gov.scot/Resource/0040/00402310.pdf 

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202500499611 - Information released - Annex

Contact

Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG

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