Our response to the Scottish Parliament's pre-budget scrutiny for 2025-26
We have responded to a call for information from the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee ahead of their pre-budget scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s culture spending portfolio.
The Committee will use this information to make recommendations to the Scottish Government on how funding should be allocated to the culture sector in their 2025-26 budget.
Key messages in our submission to the Committee include:
- Many of Scotland’s museums and galleries are in crisis.
- It is vital that the needs of all parts of the culture sector are given full consideration in relation to the planned budget increases already announced by the Scottish Government.
- Reduced workforce and capacity issues resonate throughout the sector.
- Investment in museums and galleries supports improved cultural, social and economic outcomes.
Our submission was informed by preliminary findings from a sector-wide survey which we sent out to all Scottish museum organisations in July 2024. With 11% of respondents to this survey reporting that they feel their organisations are at risk of closure in the next 12 months, there is an urgent need for investment in Scotland’s museums and galleries.
We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to this survey: your feedback has enabled us to provide the Committee with an invaluable insight into the needs and financial status of the museum sector.
We are conscious that there may be organisations not already on our radar who are experiencing challenges. We encourage you to get in touch with us in confidence to discuss any concerns. You can contact us by email.
Further details about the Committee, including a list of other submissions, is available from the Scottish Parliament website.
