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| Fiona Hyslop |
Scotland's film industry is worth an estimated £50m, but today The Scottish Government's Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, warned that it could be at risk as a result of the UK's planned exit from the European Union.
"Access to the ideas, talent, experiences and creative exchanges which the freedom of movement aspect of the single market provides is especially important to the cultural sector," she told industry leaders at a second anniversary celebration for the Creative Industries Federation in London.
"The Scottish Government is committed to developing and nurturing the creative sector for generations to come, however following the result of the EU referendum, it faces a significant challenge. To ensure that the recent upward trend in the industries’ growth continues, and to protect the thousands of jobs which rely on it, we are exploring all options to avoid a hard Brexit and protect the benefits that we know our culture and creative sectors gain from our relationship with the EU."
The SNP has previously argued that independence within Europe would give Scotland access to the €25m EURIMAGES cinema support scheme and an increased chance of accessing funding from the European Commission's Creative Europe scheme for European co-productions.
A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: "Ms Hyslop’s suggestion that Brexit will have a negative impact on the creative industries is far from the truth.
"In order to get the best possible deal for all of Britain, during Brexit negotiations all industries will be taken into account, and the creative sector will be no different.
"The United Kingdom has a proud reputation of providing a platform for some of the finest creative talents in the world. This will continue to be the case after Brexit."
