Hansard

I thank and congratulate Alyn Smith for securing this member’s business debate, and I also thank members for their speeches. As Stephen Kerr has just reflected, this debate has been positive, and it has given all members—including me, as the new Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic—an opportunity to celebrate the enormous success that is Scotland’s screen sector.

We have long been a great cinematic nation: from Sean Connery’s James Bond and the film, “Gregory’s Girl”, which has been mentioned, to modern classics like “Trainspotting” and so many more examples, we have played a defining role in the global story of film and television. However, this debate is not just about celebrating that legacy; it must be about acknowledging what we are achieving today and looking at how we can build on that in the future.

Today, Scotland’s screen sector is not only culturally authentic and significant; as members have reflected, it is also an economic powerhouse and a global creative force. Alyn Smith spoke of the sector’s value, and I will put some of that growth in context. In 2019—just a year after the creation of Screen Scotland—film and television contributed £567 million in gross value added to the Scottish economy. By 2023, that had risen to £718 million, and, as members have reflected, we are now on track to reach £1 billion of GVA by 2030. That growth reflects sustained investment, strong partnerships and a clear vision for the sector.

The Government’s manifesto commitment to make Screen Scotland a distinct body with increased funding will be central to realising that vision. It will allow us to accelerate growth, attract inward investment, expand domestic production and build the skills and infrastructure that all members have said are needed for long-term success.

I want to say a little about Screen Scotland, which has been at the heart of the sector’s progress since 2018. The next step will involve strengthening what works to ensure that Screen Scotland is equipped for the future. We are determined to continue that work.

Many members have reflected on the need for a skilled and diverse workforce. Working with Education Scotland and others, Screen Scotland has begun that work from the ground up by embedding screen and TV skills in the curriculum so that young people across Scotland can forge a pathway to being the television and film makers of the future. As my portfolio brings together education and culture, that is something that I will be keen to pick up and champion. I was pleased to hear Jenni Minto say that her constituent Grace has given the curriculum changes a five-star review.

Having embedded film and screen in the curriculum, we are committed to working with Screen Scotland and others on plans to embed a dedicated film and TV school in a Scottish university, building on the training programmes that have been so fundamentally linked to productions such as “Outlander”, “Dept Q” and others.

We are also continuing to support the growth of world-class studios and infrastructure so that productions of all sizes can choose to base themselves in Scotland. Members were correct to reflect on the fact that attracting production is key. Inward investment and international productions are a huge part of that. Such investment ensures that Scotland is attractive and globally competitive and is able to continue to attract productions such as the Oscar-winning “Frankenstein”, “Dept Q” and Marvel’s “Avengers”. I was pleased to hear my colleagues Ben Macpherson and Q Manivannan recognise the good news that there will be a second season of “Dept Q”.