• The meeting will take place on Tuesday 30^th October

However, we need more studio space to capitalise on the opportunities offered by Netflix, Amazon and other streaming services, she told Holyrood.

Ms McAlpine, who is Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee’s (CTEEA), was leading a debate on the Committee’s report:  Making Scotland a Screen Leader.

It was the culmination of a six-month enquiry which heard from over 50 industry stakeholders. 

As well as demanding the delivery of a studio, the report, which was published in June, recommended a standalone screen agency for Scotland and said that the BBC and other public service broadcasters should commission more productions from Scottish companies.

Ms McAlpine told MSPs of her optimism for the future of the industry and pointed to Outlaw King, the £85m movie about Robert the Bruce, backed by Creative Scotland, as an example of what can be achieved.  She welcomed the extra Scottish Government funding for film production which has seen investment grow by 200% over a decade.

But she pointed out that film production spend had grown around the world and witnesses to the Committee believed that Scotland was not doing as well as it could.

In her speech, Ms McAlpine said:

“The worldwide demand for high quality screen content is insatiable.  Netflix alone is making 40 productions in the UK this year out of 700 around the world – an investment of £8 billion. We need to attract more of this type of investment, but time and again our enquiry heard that Scotland had fallen behind other parts of the UK.  So, while we are growing, we are not growing fast enough

“The government, its agencies and important commissioners such as the BBC must recognise the significance of the overwhelming industry support for the Committee’s recommendations.

“The Committee visited Northern Ireland Screen in Belfast. It has been instrumental in supporting the delivery of a film studio and attracting Game of Thrones. It was completely industry focussed and of course, independent.

“Screen Scotland has now launched, albeit later than planned. Its governance seems to have been streamlined and recent appointments have bolstered industry experience at board level.

“There are many reasons to be optimistic about the future of the Scottish Screen sector but it’s important that we build real momentum and bring about a sustained and transformative change in the way the sector is supported.”

Since the Committee launched its report at The Edinburgh International Film Festival in June, a new Screen Unit, Screen Scotland, has been launched within Creative Scotland.  Ms McAlpine said that the Committee’s interim report, which called for an industry lead standalone agency, had helped shape Screen Scotland for the better.  She said it was more streamlined than originally planned and welcomed the appointment of industry professionals to the board.

However, the MSP stood by the Committee’s demand that Scottish Enterprise improve its support for screen businesses. The Committee wants to see some of the agency’s creative industry budget transferred into a standalone screen unit that would offer tailored business support to film and TV companies.

CTEEA: Scotland’s Screen Sector

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/CurrentCommittees/106134.aspx

Making Scotland a Screen Leader

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S5_European/Reports/CTEER_Report_2018.06.28_Making_Scotland_a_Screen_Leader.pdf

Screen Scotland

https://www.screen.scot/about

‘Outlaw King star James Cosmo slams failure to build film studio in Scotland after Braveheart bonanza’

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/movies/outlaw-king-star-slams-failure-13451337

‘Action at last: Plans for a new film studio in Scotland’

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16997246.action-at-last-plans-for-a-new-film-studio-in-scotland/

“CBM frequently results in fracking and has been associated with gas leaks and water poisoning elsewhere in the world. Buccleuch Estates caused outrage in Canonbie several years ago when they tried to do this through the back door via the local planning department.  Fortunately, a brilliant campaign by the residents stopped them.

“It beggars belief that Buccleuch are still pushing CBM to future owners of the site.  It is deeply irresponsible as well as misleading; the Scottish Government has said no planning licenses will be issued.  The Duke should be ashamed of trying to profit from the land by advertising its destruction.”

The sale of Mouldyhills farm is part of the larger disposal of what is known as the Evertown Portfolio.  This 9,000-acre area, made up of several farms, is being sold in a larger restructuring of Buccleuch Estates.  

“Residents campaigned successfully against the Duke’s CBM plans in the past.  If Buccleuch had carried out proper community engagement on this land sale, then he would have found the same criticism levelled at these proposals for a dirty, environmentally damaging type of gas extraction. Marketing it as an “opportunity” is both sneaky and greedy”

• No mention of CBM extraction.

The 2018 Strategic Timber Transport Fund (STTF), managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, is to improve Scotland’s rural road networks and minimise the impact of timber lorries.

Over £7 million has already been awarded to projects which will improve a number of largely minor rural roads throughout Scotland or take lorries off the road with the timber being transported to market by sea.

Ms. McAlpine said:

“The STTF will bring social and environmental benefits for the Dumfries and Galloway community.

“It is important that we mitigate the impact of timber transportation on our rural roads.  The forestry industry is worth £1 billion to the Scottish economy but this comes with an obligation to ensure that the millions of tonnes of timber that we produce is managed responsibly.

“Infrastructure improvements are a key component of delivering economic growth in the South of Scotland and this new fund will contribute to that aim.”

As well as providing these wider community benefits required under the scheme, the funding also delivers benefits to the timber processing sector.

Amongst the projects awarded £6.3 million of support are road, bridge and junction improvements that allow timber lorries to use those routes more safely.

Just over £1 million of funding has also been awarded to support the TimberLINK shipping service and the creation of landing craft loading areas that give access by sea to timber which is growing at the end of very fragile rural roads.

Roland Stiven of the Confederation of Forest Industries said;

“This funding is greatly needed to improve our rural roads to suit modern land uses such as forestry.  Work on minor roads such as those at Laverhay in Dumfries and Galloway, strengthen the road surface, widen corners and provide passing places so that timber lorries can share the road with local residents and business while the harvesting programme is underway. 

“The Scheme is also supporting work to improve the freight capacity of busy rural A roads such as the A714, vital for shifting sustainably grown timber from Galloway forests to the timber processing and manufacturing facilities in Ayrshire.”

The projects supported not only ensure the continuing steady stream of quality timber to processors across the country but also reduce the number of road miles required to transport timber to market.  

Awards to date this year include:

• The Highland Council – £1,162,000 for public roads improvements on the C1043 Strathconon, U1096/C1068 Bunachton. U1217/B852 Glenlia-Dalcrag, B873 Altnaharra – Syre.
• Perth and Kinross Council – £253,400 for road improvement projects on the B847, U29, C450.
• Aberdeenshire Council – £944,827 towards timber transport route improvements across 8 roads – A97, B976, C17, C56, C43, C60, C62 & A944.
• Moray Council – £470,316 for the Forest Roads Programme 2018 (on the C3, C5, C9, C11, C12, C13, U13, U77, U89, U105, U136).
• Scottish Borders Council – £ 601,208 towards works on the B6357, D1/3, B6399.
• Argyll & Bute Council – £1,466,717 towards works on the A816, A8003, C29, B8000, B840/C38, C30.
• Ayrshire Council – £731,640 for improvements on the C11, C90, U759 and A714.

•   Dumfries & Galloway Council – £455,000 for improvements on the B796, on the U300a and A709-A75(T).

·         Forestry Commission Scotland is part of the Scottish Government’s Environment and Forestry Directorate.

·         Media enquiries to Paul Munro, Forestry Commission Scotland press office, 0300 067 6507 / 07785 527590 / paul.munro@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

‘Timber Routes Boost’

https://www.dng24.co.uk/timber-routes-boost/

Volunteers at Loch Arthur have spoken of their fear for the future as the UK Government’s immigration proposals, post-Brexit, threaten to bring an effective end to Tier 3, or so-called unskilled labour, visas.

Loch Artur is a social enterprise, near Dumfries, which provides an inclusive living and working environment for men and women with learning difficulties. 

Most of the volunteers at Loch Arthur are EU citizens that help the residents, through supported tenancies, to run a farm, shop, café, workshop and creamery.

Relaying the volunteers’ concerns, Ms. McAlpine said:

“Fantastic initiatives like Loch Arthur are facing a threat to their very existence.  How can such organisations, reliant upon the dedication and commitment of EU migrants, be expected to cope after Brexit?

“Theresa May plans to bring an end to free movement.  Well, that position blithely ignores the impact that this will have on the volunteering sector.  It is a combination of the goodwill of these migrants and the freedom afforded by membership of the Single Market that allows social enterprises like Loch Arthur to flourish and really make a difference to people’s lives.

“The UK Government’s proposals fail to recognise that volunteers like the ones at Loch Arthur are highly skilled.  They are teachers.  They are social workers.  They are occupational therapists.  However, after Brexit, they will be prevented from getting a visa because they use their skills voluntarily.  This should be commended and not penalised.”

Currently, no Tier 3 visas are being given out by the Home Office and under the Tories post-Brexit immigration proposals, outlined in Theresa May’s speech at the Conservative party conference, it is difficult to see how charities which depend upon EU migrants will be able to meet their recruitment demands.

The Conservatives want to end freedom of movement for EU migrants but assert that highly skilled workers will be given priority under UK Government proposals.  This will mean that migrants whose salaries are under the current benchmark of £30,000 will effectively be unable to acquire a UK visa.

A spokesman for Loch Arthur, in an interview with ITV, said:

“Everyone who is living and working as part of our community is not an employee.  They are all volunteers and as yet, we’ve had no clear guidance on the status of volunteers going forward.”

Ms. McAlpine has cautioned that this prohibitive salary threshold for visas will result in the end of organisational models like Loch Arthur – branding this as “a tragedy.”

Loch Arthur Camphill Community

https://locharthur.org.uk/

Gregory Hoare ITV – feature on Loch Arthur

https://www.facebook.com/GregHoareITV/videos/2213359482282426/?hc_ref=ARTzxw0kmhiPVa_silCgI7yokQEMKq5RsvXuz4mbbMVflBTphnHHSoc9uLe-TYbvoeM&__xts__[0]=68.ARDYOvE3FxphHvHUA1Se-41gAjRXkAp2lN8tjUVwid9DqpyteBlTbT7WcLWX_e6KA03dI8iEh0SdOCeOEtt3b8MnHTDXmJNwHICxteP3oQ_DeO7VtbVUwsgSN_kK-s5Tg1n0kvxKxLrBrBR1O8AD0I_E8HBZRYycFpcmYuNOtVsQmpOvpTESLg&__tn__=FC-R

Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report: EEA migration

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migration-advisory-committee-mac-report-eea-migration

Theresa May’s Conservative party conference speech – full transcript

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/10/03/theresa-mays-conservative-party-conference-speech-full-transcript/

‘UK employers condemn ‘ignorant, elitist’ Brexit immigration report’

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/18/brexit-eu-citizens-special-access-migration-advisory-committee