Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the contribution of the Highland Games to UK sporting (a) culture and (b) heritage.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS recognises the contribution of the Highland Games to UK sport, culture and heritage but no formal assessment has been made as these areas are devolved to the Scottish Government.
However, we would encourage the Highland Games community to engage with our work on living heritage.
As part of the implementation of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the UK Government is working closely with the Devolved Governments to create inventories for each of the four nations in the UK; these will combine into one inventory of Living Heritage (or Intangible Cultural Heritage) in the UK.
We would welcome a submission from the Highland Games community when we open the call for submissions later this year.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had discussions with the Camanachd Association on support for shinty.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Whilst the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not had discussions with the Camanachd Association, the Government is supportive of shinty as an important grassroots sport, particularly in Scotland. The Department regularly works with the Scottish Government, for example as part of the Inter-Ministerial Group for Sport.