A NEW agency must be set up to boost film and TV production work in Scotland, MSPs have insisted.
A report from the committee said there was “no guarantee” that Scottish Government-backed plans to establish a screen unit within the existing arts body Creative Scotland would deliver the transformation required.
The plans for a screen unit set out an “inadequate role” for the sector, with MSPs also claiming the “cumbersome” arrangements are “overly bureaucratic” and will not allow the “dynamic decision-making” needed in a fast-moving industry.
After getting the backing of Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, proposals to create a dedicated new screen unit within Creative Scotland were published in December 2017.
However, members of the Scottish Parliament’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee, who have been considering the plans, have called for a radical rethink.
MSPs have taken the unusual step of publishing an interim report, calling on ministers to instead set up an independent screen agency – which they say could help attract major productions to Scotland.
Although work to set up the screen unit is already under way, the committee recommended plans must now be drawn up “for how it can be transformed into a standalone agency”.
In their interim report, MSPs said: “We want a vibrant screen sector in Scotland.
“That requires a standalone agency which is not encumbered by bureaucracy and is industry led.
“An autonomous Screen Scotland will help nurture, develop and support indigenous talent, deliver more studio capacity, attract major productions and represent Scotland to the rest of the world.”
While filming of TV drama Outlander has brought $400 million worth of investment to Scotland, the committee said this was “an exception” and the country had “failed to invest in studio space and capitalise on new opportunities”.
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