Barnett Consequentials from the Culture Recovery Fund

That this House notes with concern reports that HM Treasury has only delivered £9 million of an expected £40 million to the Scottish Government in consequential funding arising from the £300 million increase in the Culture Recovery Fund announced in the March 2021 Budget; notes that while First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on 11 May 2021 that the expected £40 million would be made available for culture organisations in Scotland, six months later Scottish Ministers have been unable to fulfil that commitment in full due to HM Treasury not delivering the remaining consequentials in a timely manner; shares the concerns expressed by the Scottish Commercial Music Industry Taskforce that the result of these funds being withheld by the Government is that Scottish artists and culture organisations are at significant disadvantage compared to their counterparts elsewhere in the UK, and that while Arts Council England has been able to continue making support available to organisations through to January 2022, such support in Scotland has not been able to continue beyond 30 September 2021, leading to fears that the sector has been left in a severely weakened position with no access to support needed to restart and recover as the economy emerges from pandemic-related restrictions; and calls on the Treasury to explain why there has been such a significant delay, and to take action to resolve this issue as a matter of urgency in order that artists and culture organisations in Scotland can benefit from the expected and intended support.