Kate Forbes will take responsibility for "day-to-day" government decisions around Edinburgh’s festivals after John Swinney axed his minister for culture.
Details of the Deputy First Minister’s new brief were revealed in Holyrood after Angus Robertson was pushed on a story in Monday’s Herald about the consequences of the position being scrapped.
The Cabinet Secretary told MSPs that while he would still be in charge of any “major culture decisions,” those decisions that would previously have been in the hands of his junior minister would now be taken by Ms Forbes.
READ MORE: Festival chiefs question decision to axe Minister for Culture
Last week’s reshuffle saw Kaukab Stewart, who had been Minister for Culture Europe and International Development made Minister for Equalities.
She was not replaced.
Most of her responsibilities were merged into Mr Robertson’s brief as the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.
However, the ministerial code means that he needs to avoid any conflict of interest between his government role and his role as a constituency MSP.
Nearly all of the capital’s Festival have their base and put on events in his Edinburgh Central seat.
According to the most recent register of interests - last updated before the reshuffle - Mr Robertson had “recused himself on decisions on support for the Edinburgh Festivals".
Mr Robertson’s entry then states that he has also recused himself from decisions about the Edinburgh Filmhouse, the King’s Theatre and from “day to day decisions” about the national collections - National Galleries, National Library, National Museums.
His register states that the “Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, leads on all the issues that Mr Robertson has recused himself from.”
However, as there is now no Minister for Culture, there were questions over who would have responsibility.
Labour’s Neil Bibby raised the point with Mr Robertson during culture questions in Holyrood on Wednesday.
“It is vital that the public has confidence in relation to decisions affecting the arts and culture sector.
“According to the ministerial code as a representative of the Edinburgh central constituency, the Cabinet Secretary must recuse himself from decisions which affect the area to avoid any conflicts of interest and there have been concerns raised about this in recent days.
“Given Edinburgh Central is a hub of cultural activity, the home of the Edinburgh festivals and the Cabinet Secretary no longer has a deputy cultural Minister, can I ask him to clarify today which minister - in the interest of the public's confidence - will take on responsibility for these decisions? On what grounds? And what opportunity will there be for members to hold that minister to account?”
READ MORE: John Swinney axes minister for independence
Mr Robertson said: “Neil Bibby is absolutely right to ask about changes in government and what that then means in the decision-making process.
“The good news is that when it comes to major culture decisions, and that includes our festivals which are national events, that's still the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, namely me.
“For any day-to-day issues or areas where there might be grounds for recusal. The minister that will have responsibility in those cases, is the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes.”
During her year out of government, Ms Forbes was an active member of Holyrood’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee.
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