Publishing Scotland

Publishing Scotland is a registered charity, governed by a main Board of Trustees with responsibility for overall policy setting and financial matters. It is very generously supported by the Scottish Government, with finance released to it through Creative Scotland, (annual charitable distribution between £75-£100million) It is also part funded by annual subscriptions from the membership. And from profits from a trading subsidiary company: BookSource, which has an annual turnover of £10-£ 12million turnover.

Booksource: Is a subsidiary company of Publishing Scotland. Managing Director Davinder Bedi who joined Publishing Scotland as Finance Manager in 1996. Retaining his position as a Director of Publishing Scotlandand he now spends most of his working time developing BookSource of which he is the Managing Director with charge of the £10-£12m business. He is married to Kirsten Oswald the MP for East Renfrewshire.

The Sandstone Press is an active member of Publishing Scotland: Police are investigating fraud allegations over £295,000 of taxpayers’ money given to the publisher of a book of Nicola Sturgeon’s speeches. Officers from the financial crimes unit are probing claims rules were broken when Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) awarded grants and loans to Sandstone Press of Inverness. The firm, run by SNP supporter Robert Davidson, was given £120,000 in the 12 months leading up to the publication of Women Hold Up Half the Sky: Selected Speeches of Nicola Sturgeon.

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/sturgeons-book-publisher-investigated-over-25403018

SNP minister Angus Robertson cancels book promo at event paid for by own department. Angus Robertson cancelled his appearance last night – after the Sunday Mail started asking about the £30,000 handed to it by a Creative Scotland, on of the departments of Government under his control.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/snp-minister-angus-robertson-cancels-25339037

Loadsa taxpayers money swishing around this aspect of government finance. Control mechanisms need tightening up.