Following warnings that Scotland faces a “cultural recession”, it was reported that Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government were in talks over the immediate future of arts organisations. With decisions on multiyear funding due only weeks away, will the First Minister reassure arts organisations and confirm when funding for Creative Scotland—which will enable it to make those long-term decisions—will be released and how large its budget will be?

I am enormously sympathetic to financial support for the artistic and cultural sector in Scotland. It is absolutely fundamental that we have stable and supportive financial arrangements in place for the sector.

The operational challenge is that the Scottish Government does not know what its budget will be for the next financial year. That decision will be influenced significantly by the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s budget to be announced on 30 October, so the Government has to wrestle with the challenge of providing assurance when it does not have assurance from the United Kingdom Government. That is nobody’s fault—it is just timing.

The one thing that I want to be absolutely crystal clear about to Parliament today is that the Scottish Government will support the cultural sector to fulfil its potential in Scotland. That sector is part of our essential identity as a country. The Government will stand behind it. We simply have to ensure that we have the practical assurance in place to give the financial commitments that Mr Choudhury seeks from me and that, as I quite understand, the cultural sector requires to hear from us.

We are focusing on that question, and the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson, is engaged in discussions with Creative Scotland on the best way to navigate our way through those challenges.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. In his response to me, the First Minister wanted to put on record that

“levels of crime in Scotland are currently at 40-year lows”—

those are his words. However, we already have a record: the Scottish Government’s own statistics, which were published this summer, said that crime in Scotland from 2022-23 to 2023-24 rose by 4 per cent. How could the crime levels be at their lowest level for 40 years when the Scottish Government’s own figures say that they have increased—

Mr Ross, if I might stop you there. As you will be aware, points of order are to be used to address whether proper procedures are or have been followed and they are not to be used to continue debate. There is a mechanism to address inaccurate comments, as the member will be aware, so I am very interested to understand what the point of order is.

Presiding Officer, given that the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs has been sat next to the First Minister today and so the First Minister had that information available, what remedies does the First Minister have at his disposal to update Parliament if he has deliberately or inadvertently misled Parliament on that important issue?

I simply repeat that points of order refer to whether proper procedures have been followed. The content of members’ contributions is a matter for members, and members will be aware of the mechanism that exists to address any inaccuracies.

First Minister’s questions is concluded. The next item of business is a members’ business debate in the name of Rona Mackay. There will be a short suspension to allow the chamber and gallery to clear.

Meeting suspended.

On resuming—