Current Petitions

Petition PE442, from Mr Howard Campbell, is about the establishment of a film industry in Scotland. We agreed to write to the Executive requesting an update on the national cultural strategy initiatives relating to the film industry in Scotland and to seek the Executive's views on the potential benefits of introducing tax breaks for the film industry in Scotland. We have a response from the Executive. A copy is attached to the committee papers. The committee will see from the response that the Executive's aim is to make Scotland "film-friendly" and to support Scottish Screen in developing a film charter for Scotland and initiatives to establish a Scottish film studio. It explains in some detail Scottish Screen's current remit and role in distributing national lottery funds to film in Scotland, in raising the profile of film making in Scotland, in offering support, advice and finance towards the development of feature films and in providing training and development for film, television and new media. The Executive also indicates that there has been a gradual but steady rise in film production in Scotland over the past decade and an increase in the annual spend on films in Scotland.The response points out that there is a widely shared view that Scotland does not yet have a film industry as such, but rather a film-making community, which does not yet contain enough competent, viable businesses of sufficient size to comprise an industrial context for development. Scotland is estimated to have around 165 businesses and approximately 5,500 jobs in film.The response also provides details of the proposal to establish a film studio and addresses the issue of tax breaks for the film industry in Scotland. It points out that the Chancellor's decision in his previous budget to extend tax relief for film production until 2005 will continue to encourage investment in film production and that that tax relief has provided more than £100 million of direct benefit to the film production industry in the United Kingdom over the last three years. The Executive also informs the committee that the development of a film charter for Scotland has been put on hold temporarily due to the review of Scottish Screen.It is suggested that we should agree that no further action be taken on the petition, as initiatives are being pursued to develop the film industry in Scotland. Alternatively, we could take the view that the matter merits further consideration and refer the petition to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee.

Is it agreed that we refer the petition to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee?Members indicated agreement.