Government officials will no longer automatically attend board meetings of Creative Scotland.

Under the new chairman of the nationla arts funding body, Richard Findlay, a government representative will only appear at board meetings when they were required, rather than as a constant presence at such meetings.

A Creative Scotland board meeting, the first with Findlay as chair, took place yesterday.

A spokesman said the change was not related to what happened with the Scottish Youth Theatre funding.

However an insider said that the move could be seen to re-emphasise the arms-length principle that is meant to distinguish a non-departmental public body (NDPB) such as Creative Scotland.

Findlay recently said he welcomed the appointment of consultants by the youth theatre company to reshape its case for a share of the extra money found by the government after SYT failed to secure regular funding.

"The money is being made available to Creative Scotland, and the criteria for how that money is spent is up to Creative Scotland," said Mr Findlay.

"The youth theatre is important, but when weighed up against other applicants we weren't able to fund it.

"We have given it some money for a transitional period, and it has wisely decided to use that money to bring in an outside consultant to help it reshape its case for funding and I am optimistic that they will come up with something that makes sense and then we can release the money that the Government has given us.

"But it is not just for the national youth theatre, it will go to other youth arts organisations as well."

Mr Findlay has succeeded Sir Sandy Crombie as chair of the board.

He has had a long career in broadcasting and the arts, having chaired Scottish Television and Scottish Radio Holdings as well as Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum and, most recently, being the first chairman of the National Theatre of Scotland.