New Culture Bill is a 'missed opportunity'

Unions are to push the Scottish Executive to increase spending on culture to 1% of its budget Backing an Equity and Musicians Union move, UNISON's John Stevenson welcomed much of the Draft Culture Bill but branded parts of it as a 'missed opportunity', with 'laudable aims' not matched by the fine print.

"The watering down of Local Authority duties would mean they would have little or no obligation to actually deliver on the bill's aims", said John He slammed plans to repeal the 1887 Libraries Act which would, "open the door to hiving off libraries and museums to pseudo-charitable and unaccountable trusts".

In Glasgow and Edinburgh, trusts already mean "Democratic control and accountability have been replaced by buck passing".

He warned that the lack of funding was compounded by complex guidance which could mean community planning projects would never get off the ground.

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