CULTURE Secretary Fiona Hyslop has defended her role during the crisis at Creative Scotland, after documents show she met with the body only twice after the publication of a damning letter signed by 100 leading artists.
A Freedom of Information request into meetings between Ms Hyslop and Creative Scotland from June 2012 to March 7, 2013, shows three, including two after the October 8 letter to the funding body attacking its policies.
One of the meetings – on November 14 – was with the chair, Sir Sandy Crombie, and chief executive of the body, Andrew Dixon.
Scottish Labour said that Ms Hyslop had been found wanting when the funding body was in "meltdown".
Last night a government source said that there had been many conversations between Creative Scotland and government officials last year, as well as direct phone calls between Ms Hyslop and Sir Sandy and Mr Dixon.
However, Patricia Ferguson MSP, of Scottish Labour said: "This isn't the first time that Fiona Hyslop has been found wanting when it comes to the nitty-gritty of government."
Yesterday The Herald revealed an email that showed Mr Dixon believed a letter of protest signed by more than 100 artists including John Byrne and the nation's Makar Liz Lochhead was a "highly political" act by people opposed to its existence.
Kenneth Fowler, head of communications for the body, said it does not believe the artists' letter was a political act.
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