In my new role as Shadow Minister for Europe & International Development, I questioned the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 21st January.
Budget Priorities 2015-16 (Culture, Europe and External Affairs)
How many of the organisations that receive money from that ever-decreasing budget are living-wage employers
In relation to not only this question but the next question, I would say that, as we go forward to the 2015-16 budget, there will be some increases in our budgets, with the Europe and external affairs budget rising to £17.9 million, culture rising from £150.6 million to £174.7 million and Historic Scotland rising from £37.8 million to £40.1 million.
I am happy to give the member information in relation to the organisations that she asks about. The ones that are part of the Government’s public pay policy pay the living wage. I was particularly pleased that National Museums Scotland Enterprises was one of the first organisations that is not part of the Scottish Government’s pay policy to implement the living wage for its staff.
Everybody knows that workers in all organisations in the Scottish Government’s pay policy benefit from the living wage and that those who earn less than £21,000 will benefit from an increase. That matters a lot in the culture and heritage sector, which has more people on low pay than other sectors.
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