Fiona Hyslop submits new T in the Park row evidence

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Fiona Hyslop has submitted more evidence about a grant given to T in the Park festival organisers.

The culture secretary was called before the education and culture committee to give evidence over the £150,000 grant, which drew accusations of "cronyism".

Ms Hyslop has now written to convener Stewart Maxwell with further details about the grant and the information she had before authorising it.

Opponents said the "letter raises even more questions than it answers".

There had been calls for Ms Hyslop to be recalled before the committee to give further evidence over the matter, after members voiced dissatisfaction with the answers she gave on 29 September.

The row broke out when it emerged the grant had been facilitated via a meeting set up by former SNP aide Jennifer Dempsie when she was working for DF Concerts as a festival project manager. She had planned to run as a list MSP for the SNP in the 2016 elections, but later decided not to take forward her nomination.

MSPs questioned why the popular, profitable event needed taxpayer funds, and whether Ms Dempsie's "close connections with the SNP" meant the grant was "a done deal".

In her letter, Ms Hyslop said the funding had been approved solely for the operational costs of moving the event from its long-time home at Balado to Strathallan Castle, which incurred a seven-figure sum of additional expenditure.

She said a debrief document including a detailed breakdown of what the grant was used for was being worked on by DF Concerts, but said it would be shared with the Scottish government on "a commercial in confidence basis".

She also reiterated a point earlier raised at the committee, of the danger of T in the Park moving away or ceasing to exist as a weekend-long event.

'Future viability'

She said: "In the case of T in the Park, the question was not about the on-going profits of the company, but rather the future viability of the event as a multi-day, multi-stage event, and the economic, cultural and reputational benefits that T in the Park delivers for Scotland."

Ms Hyslop confirmed that she had been made aware of actual and projected ticket sales at the 28 May meeting, and said it was "clear that ticket sales are a major factor in determining the viability of the event".

She noted that "the wait for planning permission also had an impact on sales".

Scottish Conservative culture spokeswoman Liz Smith said the letter "raises even more questions than it answers".

She said: "If it is correct that the £150,000 was used only to pay for costs relating to the venue hire and consultant's fees, then why, three months after the event, is it not possible to have a detailed breakdown of how this public money was spent?

"The cabinet secretary has confirmed that DF Concerts are 'working their way through a post-event debrief process' but she also confirms that the report which details how the money was spent will only be shared in confidence with the Scottish government.

"I am sure the public will question this on-going lack of transparency about the use of public funds."

A spokeswoman for DF Concerts earlier said there was "nothing secret at all" about the grant, noting that the awards process was "as transparent as it is for any other event or organisation".

Ms Smith has also written to Perth and Kinross Council urging a "major review" of T in the Park's' move to Strathallan after widespread traffic problems.