Yesterday's announcement about Scotland's new funding body for the arts posed as many questions as answers. It was unclear last night how long it would be before Creative Scotland inherits both the powers and the funds of the SAC and Scottish Screen.

Yesterday's announcement about Scotland's new funding body for the arts posed as many questions as answers.

It was unclear last night how long it would be before Creative Scotland, now to be set up as a limited company, inherits both the powers and the funds of the SAC and Scottish Screen. Nor was there a mention of how much the establishment of Creative Scotland would cost.

Last night it emerged there may already be one snag in the plan: a limited company by the name of Creative Scotland already exists. Creative Scotland Ltd is registered by Companies House to an address in Leith, Edinburgh, and is listed as a "religious organisation".

A spokeswoman for Linda Fabiani, the Culture Minister, said the government was aware another company had the name registered but that the "name in itself is not the most important thing, what the body does is the most important thing".

The developments are the latest in the long and often-delayed history of Creative Scotland. It was first included in the first draft of a Culture Bill in December 2006. A joint board, of both the SAC and Scottish Screen, has been in operation since January 2007.

A change of government delayed the project and last June the Creative Scotland Bill was voted down in parliament, leaving the future unclear.

The body will now be established in two moves. The first will make it a company limited by guarantee, under a board of directors and a chief executive, by April next year.

Then the arrangements for establishing Creative Scotland will be scrutinised in parliament again, but through measures which will be contained in the new Public Services Reform Bill with the organisation becoming a statutory body by February 2010.

Ms Fabiani said: "I will not compromise on either the timetable or the integrity and values of Creative Scotland."

Conservative culture spokesman Ted Brocklebank said: "It is deeply disappointing that the Scottish Government has now abandoned its attempts to implement the Bill with so many of the functions and powers still undetermined."