28 August 2025

The Museums Association (MA) has submitted evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny for 2026-27.

In our response, we:

  • Raised that museums are delivering against a range of government priorities by enhancing health and wellbeing, playing a vital role in supporting education and life learning, and taking action to tackle the climate emergency
  • Highlighted the need for Scotland’s museums to have access to core funding and multi-year funding
  • Called for the Scottish government to invest at least 1% of its overall budget in culture
  • Strongly recommended the continuation of the Museum Futures programme in order to maximise outcomes
  • Made the case for more capital funding for museums including for an equivalent to the Museum Estates and Development Fund that exists in England