EDINBURGH—Linda Fabiani, Scotland's culture minister, said that the government is completely committed to the merger of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen, BBC News reports. Speaking at a Scottish Arts Council reception last night, Fabiani said that she was confident "a new dynamic, strategic, visionary body building on the success of Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council" would be created soon. The new organization is to be called Creative Scotland.

Fabiani's pledge comes despite the fact that the Scottish Parliament threw out a bill to create the new organization two months ago, after concerns were raised about the financing of the plan. Press reports have estimated that the merger could cost as much as 10 times the original £700,000 ($1.3 million) figure.

Nearly five years have passed since former first minister Jack McConnell proposed the idea of the merger. Three different culture ministers, a cultural review, a cultural report, a government bill, a new government, and a reworked bill have all passed as well. Richard Holloway, chairman of the Scottish Arts Council, jokingly compared his position as chairman of the yet-to-be-created organization to being the leader of a cult of eschatology, the study of the end of the world.

"We continue to wait and pray and wait and pray and hope that one day it will happen," he said.