MSPs have backed the council's calls

She has also appealed to Allan Wilson MSP, who was Mr Galbraith's deputy.

He is now solely responsible for culture and directly answerable to the first minister.

An audit of Glasgow's 13 museums - which house the largest civic collection in the UK - is currently being carried out.

The �17m annual bill for maintaining the museums is left at the door of the city council.

They are among the most popular free tourist attractions in the UK, with Kelvingrove alone attracting more than a million visitors every year.

The city council hopes to prove that they also contain works of national significance.

Special status

If so, they may be entitled to financial help with the running of the services.

In January, 19 MSPs gave their backing to the council's calls.

They said they wanted to see the attractions given special status and assisted funding from the government.

In September 1999, a �2.7m grants package was awarded to England's major museums and galleries.

That led to a call for similar help in Scotland.

Unlike Glasgow, Edinburgh is given "national" status and therefore qualifies for funding similar to that handed out in England.