Alex Salmond: A second Scottish referendum is inevitible

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xs2man said:
In slightly related news, would the SNP not have been better spending £150k on food banks to help feed the hungry than giving it to T in the Park???
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Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the
Scottish Government how much money it provided for the relocation of T in the Park by way of state
aid grants and on what dates these were paid.
(S4W-26910)

Fiona Hyslop: T in the Park is one of the most popular and successful cultural events in Scotland’s
annual events programme. It has a significant economic impact, driving additional tourism and
supporting jobs. In 2014 the event generated £15.4 million for the Scottish economy.

The national events strategy ‘Scotland, the Perfect Stage’ highlights the Scottish Government’s
recognition of the importance of Scotland’s wide and diverse portfolio of events, and in particular the
role of our large and iconic ‘signature’ events, such as T in the Park, in driving sustainable economic
growth and retaining our status as a world class events destination.

T in the Park’s status as a signature event has been an important factor in previous funding awards
made to DF Concerts and Events for this event by the Scottish Government and a number of its
bodies, including Creative Scotland, VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise. It was also a key
consideration in the decision to make a one-off grant payment of £150,000 to DF Concerts and Events
to support the transition of the T in the Park event from Balado to Strathallan.
The decision to offer a grant to DF Concerts and Events was made as a result of the following
sequence of events and considerations.

Due to Health and Safety Executive concerns regarding the proximity of T in the Park’s previous
location at Balado to the BP forties oil pipeline, DF Concerts and Events were required to seek a new
site for event after its final staging at Balado in 2014. DF Concerts and Events identified Strathallan as
a potential new site and submitted a planning application to Perth and Kinross Council in January
2015. On 12 May 2015 the council voted to grant consent subject to conditions, including a time-limit
granting permission for the event to run in 2015, 2016 and 2017 only with further permission
dependent on a future assessment of its impact on the site.

Following the planning decision, on 14 May 2015 the private office of the Cabinet Secretary for
Culture, Europe and External Affairs was contacted by Ms Jennifer Dempsie, a project manager for
DF Concerts and Events, to seek the rescheduling of a previously postponed meeting between DF
Concerts and Events’ Chief Executive and myself regarding T in the Park. The meeting was arranged
for 28 May 2015 due to the proximity of the event and the extreme difficulties being faced by the
organisers in relation to delivering an event the scale of T in the Park at a new site and on a temporary
basis, as determined by a condition of the planning decision made less than nine weeks in advance of
the event being staged.

DF Concerts and Events’ Chief Executive Geoff Ellis and Business Development Manager Jo Blyth
attended the meeting with myself and my officials. Ms Dempsie did not attend that meeting or have
any discussions with myself or the Scottish Government in relation to funding for T in the Park.
DF Concerts and Events outlined a range of additional costs associated with the change of site for
the T in the Park event and highlighted unanticipated further costs resulting from the time-limited
condition attached to the planning consent. DF Concerts and Events confirmed that the 2015 event
could be delivered under pressure but that the additional costs faced in relation to it were a threat to its
longer term viability on that site.

Following detailed consideration of options, including consideration of DF Concerts and Events’
finances and an application on 29 June 2015 from DF Concerts and Events under State Aid rules for
support in relation to operational transition costs for T in the Park, I approved funding of £150,000 from
the Scottish Government’s major events and themed years programme budget.

The level of funding support provided this year by the Scottish Government to DF Concerts and
Events for T in the Park is in line with the level of funding provided by Scottish Government and its
bodies to the organisers of other major events such as Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, the John Muir
Festival, the World Pipe Band Championships, Celtic Connections and the International Book Festival.
The Scottish Government funding was made as a contribution to assist DF Concerts and Events in
ensuring a successful transition of T in the Park to Strathallan. In order to protect the future staging of
the event in Scotland, a key condition attached to the grant offer, which was accepted by DF Concerts
and Events, was that the T in the Park event take place at Strathallan in 2015, 2016 and 2017. A
specific claw-back condition is attached to the grant stipulating that the amount of £50,000 be repaid
by DF Concerts and Events to the Scottish Government for each and any year (2015, 2016 or 2017)
that the event does not take place at Strathallan.

The funding was awarded under powers afforded to Scottish Ministers in section 23 of the National
Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985 and in line with the National Events Strategy.
The grant was assessed by the European Commission and deemed to be compliant with section 11
Aid for Culture and Heritage Conservation, article 53 (sections 2a, 2d and 5d) of the State Aid General
Block Exemption Regulations. The scheme number is SA.42690.
The grant was paid by the Scottish Government to DF Concerts and Events on 24 July 2015 and, in
line with the Scottish Government’s firm commitment to openness and transparency and in
accordance with State Aid rules, details of the award were proactively published on the Scottish
Government’s website on 28 July 2015 and are available at:
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Business-Industry/Tourism/stateaidtinthepark
 
Wall of text.

People go hungry so other people, who have hundreds of monies to go to a festival, can get off their coupon while listening to millionaires playing music.

Sounds like a good use of money, yeah?

I'm quite sure DF Concerts could have put on T in The Park without the "loan", meanwhile others are so hungry they are stealing the cheapest food to be found in supermarkets and being convicted of it.

Praise be upon them? I think not...
 
xs2man said:
Wall of text.

People go hungry so other people, who have hundreds of monies to go to a festival, can get off their coupon while listening to millionaires playing music.

Sounds like a good use of money, yeah?
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So you think there should be no arts and culture spending or investment to benefit a local economy until such time as literally nobody ever is homeless?
 
lovelyhead said:
29 June 2015
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The question people need to ask is, was there any real risk of TitP being cancelled a couple of weeks before it was due to happen and whether it was appropriate that a former SNP government advisor and partner of an SNP MP brokered the deal on behalf of DF Concerts.

Stinks to high heaven that does.
 
[TW]Fox;28446392 said:
So you think there should be no arts and culture spending or investment to benefit a local economy until such time as literally nobody ever is homeless?
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No, not at all. But that money could have been spent on arts and culture that may have been more accessible. For example, local museums or galleries. Places that are either free to enter, or a token donation, so they could be enjoyed by all of society, not just people who can afford £250+ for music festival tickets.

Although that is obviously in opposition to my original point, that people are hungry while money is spent on such things. But at least the person who can't afford to eat can visit a free to enter museum and get some benefit for that government money. Perhaps helping them to forget their hunger for a couple hours.

I'm sure TITP would have went ahead without that money, while local museums are closing down due to lack of funding.

Also, you don't have to be homeless to not have enough money to eat. Many people have to decide between eating and paying rent.
 
xs2man said:
No, not at all. But that money could have been spent on arts and culture that may have been more accessible. For example, local museums or galleries. Places that are either free to enter, or a token donation, so they could be enjoyed by all of society, not just people who can afford £250+ for music festival tickets.

Although that is obviously in opposition to my original point, that people are hungry while money is spent on such things. But at least the person who can't afford to eat can visit a free to enter museum and get some benefit for that government money. Perhaps helping them to forget their hunger for a couple hours.

I'm sure TITP would have went ahead without that money, while local museums are closing down due to lack of funding.

Also, you don't have to be homeless to not have enough money to eat. Many people have to decide between eating and paying rent.
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£150k in exchange fir approx £46.2 million fir the Scottish economy ower 3 years.
 
TITP would have went ahead anyway without this money. The organizers have PLENTY money, they have been doing it for years. They know what they are doing. And they make good money from doing it. All that happens here is the organizers now get to profit from having more coin in the bank, while the Scottish Government cant help to keep museums and libraries open. Services that will actually help the majority of the country.

This isn't an investment in the local economy, as you are suggesting, as it was always going to happen. That figure was always coming here (well, as it's mostly Scottish patrons, was always getting spent here anyway), as it was always going to happen. But that money could have been put to better use elsewhere.

It's all very well spouting numbers like that. And it makes it sound like a bargain. But the event was going to happen anyway, so it's a fallacy to state it as "good value" for the Scottish taxpayer.

But you go on believing the tripe that bunch of numpties at Hollyrood tell you. You seem absolutely taken in by all their lies and deceit, and wont have a bad word said against them, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
 
Indeed, they won't even get the corporation tax on the extra £150k profit they'll make now as that goes to London. Great value for Scotland.
 
Yes he did. A video, posted by WoS of Gordon Brown pacing back and forth at a speech, and then suggested it was wearing out camera tripods. As if it made perfect sense or something???
 
lovelyhead said:
Saviour eh the union, liar tae the people, wearer oot eh camera tripods.
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Do you have some kind of reading/writing disability or do you drink too much? either way if you're using a decent internet browser then right clicking the words underscored in red will bring up spelling suggestions.

You're welcome :)
 
ubersonic said:
Do you have some kind of reading/writing disability or do you drink too much?
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or:

Do you have some kind of reading/writing disability AND do you drink too much?

Regarding drinking too much, the part of the country where he comes from might be a bit of a clue. :D
 
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