To ask the Minister for Communities to outline what progress his Department has made to implement the recommendations of the Investing in Creative Delivery report, since it was published in July 2023.

Mr Lyons

The recommendations in 'Investing in Creative Delivery' have not yet been implemented, but the foundation of work to develop a comprehensive strategy for the support and development of the culture, arts and heritage sectors will be based on that work.

Mr Lyons

Yes, I am always happy to meet those who have concerns or other issues that they want to raise with me. On the budget, it is important for the House to know just how challenging a budget settlement my Department has received. It will be difficult in many areas. However, I have already stated how important I consider the arts to be. The arts can have an impact on people's development in their lives, especially young people, so I am determined to do everything that I can to support the arts in Northern Ireland. That does not just mean supporting the arts through the budget that we have. It means seeing what other funding sources are available to help the arts, and that is a conversation that I had in a recent UK Government Ministers meeting, which involved the other devolved Administrations as well. Scotland has been very effective at finding other ways to support the arts, and I want to see that replicated here so that we are not just dependent on the funding that comes directly from my Department.

Mr O'Toole

Minister, we often spend time in the Chamber comparing ourselves to down South or across the water. One area where there is no comparison is in arts funding. We spend less than half of what Wales spends, which is the lowest spender in the rest of the UK. We spend a fifth of what the Republic of Ireland spends on arts, and, over the past decade, the arts sector has had its budget repeatedly slashed. I understand that budget pressures —

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker

Question.

Mr O'Toole

— are where they are, but I ask the Minister to look creatively at other sources of funding, such as the Shared Island Fund or financial transactions capital. Alternatively, will he agree to ask the Economy Minister and Finance Minister to discontinue our subsidisation of non-existent flights for £2·5 million a year to North America so that we can give that money to our struggling artists?

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker

Minister, if you want, you can respond to —

Mr Lyons

Any of those questions.

Madam Principal Deputy Speaker

— [Inaudible.]

Mr Lyons

Obviously, it is not for me to encroach on the work of other Departments. However, I agree that there is a disparity in what we spend on the arts. The Member is quoting the Arts Council or equivalent bodies. We spend a little bit more than that in some of the other sectors, but I take the point that our spend here is lower. It is not the fairest comparator, but it is a consequence of the funding cuts that have happened over a number of years. I absolutely want to be in a position to protect the arts, and, as the Member alluded to, I am looking for alternative sources and other ways in which we can support the arts to be sufficient, including other income streams, where possible.

Mr K Buchanan

Minister, do you recognise the need to ensure that arts funding is distributed in a fair and impartial manner across Northern Ireland, including in rural areas and in support for marching bands?

Mr Lyons

Yes, absolutely. I do not think that the arts should be the preserve of any one community, any one area or any one town or city. I want to support the arts right across Northern Ireland. I want to ensure that we can support the development and sustainability of the arts and encourage them to develop in areas where they perhaps have not been that strong in the past. I am committed to doing that. The Member specifically highlighted marching bands. At the end of the financial year, I was able to allocate a small sum of additional money to help marching bands across Northern Ireland, because I understand the value that those bands bring, especially to young people who might not otherwise be involved in the arts. That should be encouraged, and I hope to see that happening again this year.

Mr Nesbitt

If I heard the Minister correctly, he said that, as yet, there has been no implementation of the report, so I will broaden the question. To what extent does he believe that creativity in the arts can help to deliver high-end Programme for Government outcomes?

Mr Lyons

I absolutely believe that it can, and I say this to the Member: the fact that we have not had progress on the direct delivery of the recommendations does not mean that nothing is happening. We are putting together the arts, culture and heritage strategy, and I look forward to announcing that to the House soon, once I get the agreement of the Executive. It is important that that continues. I absolutely believe that the arts play a role in many of the outcomes that we will want to see in the Programme for Government. I have said before that sport and the arts help people to show up, be committed and demonstrate dedication to something and to working together. Those are essential skills that will help young people in particular in their educational journey, but those outcomes help in other ways and take pressure off Departments like Health and Justice. I am committed to supporting the arts, because I see the impact that they can have.