In an article in The Herald on January 6th, a Scottish Government spokesperson
is quoted
as saying:

"The culture minister has agreed to meet with a number of representatives from
across the
sector to hear and address their concerns about the transition process and remit
of
Creative Scotland."

Ms Fabiani has not agreed to meet, and has never met with, the SAU, the only
politically
and fiscally independent representative organisation for visual and applied
artists in the
country. The spokesperson also said:

"The Scottish Parliament voted unanimously in favour of the establishment of
Creative
Scotland as a statutory body, and we will proceed with the democratic
legislative route, not
least to enshrine the important arms length principle in arts funding."

This is disingenuous. On June 18th 2008 the Scottish Parliament DID NOT vote
unanimously for the establishment of Creative Scotland. To be precise, they
voted in
favour of the proposed Creative Scotland Bill passing Stage 1 of its course
through the
chamber. There would have followed a further second stage of scrutiny during
which,
crucially, the bill could have been amended before a final vote. Later in the
same session
members disagreed over the passage of the bill's Financial Memorandum and split
49/68
for and against. A full account of business in the chamber on that day can be
found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or\
-
08/sor0618-02.htm#Col9842

Anyone who reads this report can be in no doubt that the will of parliament was
not four-
square behind Creative Scotland in the summer of last year, and in the opening
weeks of
the new year our findings are that opinion among MSPs remains divided.

Later this month the Scottish Government will represent Creative Scotland within
the
Public Services Reform Bill and in terms that will deal only with its financing.
In doing so
are taking as read full parliamentary agreement to every article of the Creative
Scotland
Bill. They seek a short cut past the second stage of scrutiny and possibility
of amendment
that would have been brought to bear on the Creative Scotland Bill as a matter
of course,
had they not embarrassed themselves with their lack of clarity in the Financial
Memorandum. Therefore their dedication to the "democratic legislative route"
must be
called into question.

The Scottish Artists Union maintains that in the interests of clarity and
transparency as
well as the continuing consultation that the entire arts sector is crying out
for, Creative
Scotland should not be included in the Public Services Reform Bill.