The National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) and Scottish local authority museums have warned that they may be forced to make cutbacks following a planned spending squeeze by the Scottish government. The move is the result of a Treasury requirement that £500m in savings be found across all government departments by 2011.
"If the draft budget for 2010-11 currently before the Scottish parliament is approved [early next year], this will mean a reduction of some 1 per cent of the budgets that were projected for the National Galleries of Scotland for next year," said an NGS spokeswoman. "This reduction will have to be met by efficiencies and cutting back on costs where possible."
A Scottish government spokeswoman disputed this statement, saying that planned core running costs for the galleries would rise from £12.41m to £12.53m between 2009-10 and 2010-11.
John Stewart-Young, arts and heritage manager at Dundee City Council, struck a note of caution. "Clearly the pinch will have implications, especially for non-statutory services," he said.
"As the largest part of service cost is in staff salaries, the most likely direct effect is through posts being left vacant when staff leave. This will lead to an inevitable weakening of service capability over time, which is seen as more palatable than the closure of facilities."
Meanwhile, Glasgow City Council's settlement for Culture and Sport Glasgow (CSG), which runs most of the city's museums, is set to be cut by "about £1.7m" in 2010-11, according to a CSG spokesman. The trust's total budget for 2009-10 is £96.7m, with the council providing about 70 per cent of funding.
"Museum services aren't immune from reductions in spending across all council services, but we are working to find ways of maintaining current levels of provision in Glasgow's museums, which remain free for all to access," said the spokesman. He added that a wage freeze for all CSG staff from 2010-11 "would help".
But a council spokesman said that the government cuts would not affect Glasgow's £74m Riverside Museum project. This redevelopment of Glasgow's Museum of Transport, a separate city council capital scheme, is still scheduled to open in 2011.
"It is difficult to comment on the possible impact on services without full information on the [Scottish government] grant settlement, so no comment can be made on future revenue funding," the council spokesman said.
"If the draft budget for 2010-11 currently before the Scottish parliament is approved [early next year], this will mean a reduction of some 1 per cent of the budgets that were projected for the National Galleries of Scotland for next year," said an NGS spokeswoman. "This reduction will have to be met by efficiencies and cutting back on costs where possible."
A Scottish government spokeswoman disputed this statement, saying that planned core running costs for the galleries would rise from £12.41m to £12.53m between 2009-10 and 2010-11.
John Stewart-Young, arts and heritage manager at Dundee City Council, struck a note of caution. "Clearly the pinch will have implications, especially for non-statutory services," he said.
"As the largest part of service cost is in staff salaries, the most likely direct effect is through posts being left vacant when staff leave. This will lead to an inevitable weakening of service capability over time, which is seen as more palatable than the closure of facilities."
Meanwhile, Glasgow City Council's settlement for Culture and Sport Glasgow (CSG), which runs most of the city's museums, is set to be cut by "about £1.7m" in 2010-11, according to a CSG spokesman. The trust's total budget for 2009-10 is £96.7m, with the council providing about 70 per cent of funding.
"Museum services aren't immune from reductions in spending across all council services, but we are working to find ways of maintaining current levels of provision in Glasgow's museums, which remain free for all to access," said the spokesman. He added that a wage freeze for all CSG staff from 2010-11 "would help".
But a council spokesman said that the government cuts would not affect Glasgow's £74m Riverside Museum project. This redevelopment of Glasgow's Museum of Transport, a separate city council capital scheme, is still scheduled to open in 2011.
"It is difficult to comment on the possible impact on services without full information on the [Scottish government] grant settlement, so no comment can be made on future revenue funding," the council spokesman said.
