MSPs pass the Budget (Scotland) Bill

Summary

The Culture Committee takes evidence from BBC director-general Tony Hall following his announcement of a new TV channel for BBC Scotland
The Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Islamphobia and the Scottish Growth Scheme are all raised during general questions
Nicola Sturgeon is quizzed by opposition MSPs during first minister's questions
Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald leads this afternoon's member's debate on co-investment in the UK oil and gas sector
MSPs pass the Budget (Scotland) Bill, with 68 MSPs backing it and with 57 against

Live Reporting

Craig Hutchison and Colin Bell

First up this morning the BBC director-general gives evidencepublished at 08:59 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2017
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Lord Hall, Donald MacKinnon and Ken MacQuarrie will give evidence
The Culture Committee will now question:
- BBC director-general Tony Hall
- BBC Scotland director Donalda MacKinnon
- BBC director of nations and regions Ken MacQuarrie
The committee’s questioning is expected to cover the range of BBC Scotland’s output and the provision of news on television, radio and on-line.
The evidence session comes after the announcment that there is to be a new dedicated BBC channel for Scotland, including a one hour news programme to be broadcast at 9pm each evening.
Call for more network programmespublished at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2017
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Still Game
Lord Hall said Scotland already made network programmes such as Shetland, Two Doors Down and Still Game but it needed to make more.
He said the additional £20m for making UK-wide programmes would be a "huge boost for BBC Scotland and for the creative industries in Scotland".
The director-general also announced £1.2m for Gaelic channel BBC Alba, taking its budget to £20m.
The proposals will be subject to approval by the BBC's new unitary board and possibly by Ofcom.
BBC Scotland's new directorpublished at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2017
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Donalda MacKinnon took up the post of director of BBC Scotland in December
When she took over as BBC Scotland's new director in December, Donalda MacKinnon pledged to spend more licence fee funds raised north of the border on programming produced in Scotland.
In 2015/16, 55% of licence fee funds raised in Scotland was spent on local and Scottish network content.
The BBC's 2015/16 accounts showed £320m was raised from the licence fee in Scotland. Of that, £176.5m was spent on local content and Scottish-made BBC network output.
This was a sharp decline from the £203m spend the previous year, which was 63% of the £323m collected. The funds not spent locally go towards BBC programmes developed elsewhere and aired across the UK.
The new funding takes the percentage of the licence fee funds raised in Scotland and spent in Scotland to 68% - or 79% if the £35m spent on distribution costs, getting the programmes to the audience, is included.
In comparison, 95% of licence fee funds raised in Wales in 2015/16 were spent in Wales - including on network-wide programmes like Doctor Who, Sherlock, Casualty and Crimewatch - with the figure for Northern Ireland standing at 74%.
Political reaction to announcement of new TV channel for the BBC in Scotlandpublished at 08:57 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2017
SNP MP John Nicolson said he welcomed the new channel and extra investment for Scotland.
However, he said he was "disappointed" the BBC had "killed off" the idea of separate Scottish Six news on BBC One.
Image source, BBC/Reuters
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Clockwise: Labour's Lewis Macdonald, SNP MP John Nicholson on the campaign trail with Nicola Sturgeon and Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw
Sottish Conservative culture spokesman Jackson Carlaw said the move was "good for jobs, journalism, scrutiny and programming".
He said: "It also ensures those who still prefer the UK-wide BBC news at 6pm, and other programming on BBC1, get to keep that too."
Scottish Labour's Lewis Macdonald also welcomed the move and criticised Nationalist politicians for their "interference in the BBC's impartiality".
Paul Holleran, Scottish organiser for journalists' union The NUJ, said it was a "shot in the arm" for Scottish journalism.
Culture Committee convener's reaction to BBC announcementpublished at 08:57 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2017
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Culture Committee convener Joan McAlpine
Speaking ahead of the meeting, the Culture Committee convener Joan McAlpine, said: “I welcome the announcement of a new dedicated channel for Scotland, together with increased investment on programme making in Scotland and the commitment to 80 new jobs for journalists.
The committee convener said she looks forward to hearing more detail from the director-general, in particular with regard to funding.
Ms McALpine, an SNP MSP, said: “There is a clear need for a fairer share of licence fee money raised in Scotland to be spent in Scotland. In 2014/15 only 55% raised was spent in Scotland, compared to 95% in Wales.
"Whilst this is a step in the right direction, the Committee is sure to have a lot of questions on how these ambitious targets will deliver value for money for license fee payers in Scotland and how they are going to be delivered.”
Ms McAlpine reiterated her views on this morning's Good Morning Scotland programme, where she said she thought MSPs would broadly welcome the BBC's proposals, but would query the level of investment.
Response from Nicola Strugeon:published at 08:56 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2017
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Lord Hall's commentspublished at 08:56 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2017
Lord Hall described it as the biggest single investment in broadcast content in Scotland for more than 20 years.
Scotland should receive about £40m in new funding annually - £19m for the new channel and digital developments, and £20m for making network programmes.
It is hoped that spending on network programmes made in Scotland for a UK-wide BBC audience will rise from about £65m this year to closer to £90m over the next three years.
Image source, PA
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Lord Hall
Lord Hall said: "We know that viewers in Scotland love BBC television but we also know that they want us to better reflect their lives and better reflect modern Scotland.
"The best way of achieving this is a dedicated channel for Scotland.
"It's a channel that will be bold, creative and ambitious, with a brand-new Scotland-edited international news programme at its heart."
The new BBC TV channel for Scotland will broadcast every evening and will show drama, factual, comedy and news programmes made in Scotland.
The development of a nightly news hour at 9pm means that the news output on BBC One in Scotland will remain in its current form.
Background: New TV channel for BBC in Scotlandpublished at 08:55 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2017
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Tony Hall announces new BBC TV channel for Scotland
A new TV channel for the BBC in Scotland will begin broadcasting in autumn 2018, director-general Tony Hall has announced.
The channel will have a budget of £30m, equivalent to the amount spent on BBC4.
The plans for the channel include a Scottish news hour at 9pm which will broadcast stories from Scotland, the UK and the world.
The director-general also announced an increase of about £20m a year for Scotland to make UK-wide programmes.
The Culture Committee evidence session on the BBC will begin shortlypublished at 08:53 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February 2017
The Culture Committee will now take evidence from
- BBC director-general Tony Hall
- BBC Scotland director Donalda MacKinnon
- BBC director of nations and regions Ken MacQuarrie
Image source, BBC Scotland
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BBC Scotland
MSPs will then quiz:
- Ofcom's Scotland director Glenn Preston
- Ofcom's group director content policy Kevin Bakhurst
Good morning and welcome to Holyrood livepublished at 18:30 Greenwich Mean Time 22 February 2017
Good morning and welcome to Holyrood Live on 23 February 2017.
There's a busy day ahead, which begins with a BBC evidence session before the Culture Committee, following the announcement of a new channel in Scotland, with a £30m budget.
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BBC director-general Tony Hall
After general questions, we will bring you extensive coverage of first minister's questions.
Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald will then lead a debate calling for joint governmental investment for the oil and gas industry.
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Fist minister's questions
The afternoon will of course be dominated by the budget, with the Greens and SNP expected to unite, as they did at Stage 1, to ensure its safe passage.
Join us for extensive coverage of this too!! Including all the social media reaction as it happens.
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