, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
It'd be great if you could find some time to—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
I think the work that the National Trust has done over recent years is really good, isn't it? So, I've met with the National Trust in this role and previously. I'm hoping to visit a National Trust site possibly next week, just to see a bit more about what…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Yes, I'm happy to. Obviously, we'll put it in a format that we can, but we'll share something with you.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Sure. The 5 per cent, I think, is a target, and why the 5 per cent is important, Chair, is because that will help support the financial sustainability of Cadw. Perhaps Jason can talk a bit more about this, but if we look at where Cadw’s come from to where…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
I think it's finding the most efficient model, isn't it? And that's what we're keen to do.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you, Jenny, I think that is a very good question. I don't think I'm in a position to say that we won't have two organisations, and I don't think that perhaps is where my thinking will go. What I think perhaps needs to happen—and there is work going on…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
I think I make the case all of the time for the benefits of sport and the arts, and we do see already, as described, the areas in which the Government does invest in this. I haven't seen the health committee's recommendation, Chair, forgive me. I'll take a…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Gareth, again, thank you for recognising the importance of sport, both mentally and physically, to the nation. The health Minister takes the lead on the ‘Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales’ programme and, indeed, the responsibility around physical activity. On my…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
I think that we'll all take that view, won't we? So, the Cabinet will take the view on that, Chair. There are areas where we already do that. Where we can strengthen that and look to do it, we will. The conversations I'm having with the Minister for mental…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
So, we are doing that, aren't we? I've just described areas where we are doing things, and I've already said, where we can do more, I'd be very keen to see us do more. I've just mentioned, in particular, the role of sport in mental health, and that's…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Well, I think we're seeing that, aren't we? So, the investment in capital funding on facilities in sports offers that help to preventative—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thanks, Gareth, for that. Gareth raises a really important point there, in the role that sport can play and, indeed, that all of this portfolio, Chair, can play in responding to health issues, whether physical or mental health. Gareth pointed to…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
[Inaudible.]—on this year, by 3.6 per cent, as it is across arm’s-length bodies, arts council and those included, this is a step in the right direction, Gareth. As I’ve said, we’re not going to address all of the challenges that we see in one budget, but…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
So, I’m grateful to Gareth for that, and I haven’t had the opportunity to welcome Gareth to his position as shadow Minister with these responsibilities and I look forward to that. I’m particularly glad he’s recognised the impact of the policies that his…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
I would prefer, Chair, to not be in that position and I think that's why we're making the investments that we are in protecting those collections. We would respond and look to respond, in the event that that did occur, in the most appropriate way. I don't…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
So, I think we are looking at a cross-Government commitment to these issues. You've seen the investment in-year awarded to Amgueddfa Cymru and the national museum in Cardiff. You will also see, in this draft budget, where there's been an increase in capital…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
—but just bear with me whilst I consider some of that. The better business case model does work in areas and perhaps it's finding why it's worked better in those areas than in others and if there's any learning to be done there as well.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
There are areas, perhaps, where efficiencies could be found in that. You mentioned Amgueddfa Cymru as one of those areas. This is public money for a specific purpose, project-style investments. Therefore, it would fall under the better business case model. As…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you, Chair. I think we had an extensive conversation around this with committee members in one of the sessions we've had previously. I think I'm right in saying your recommendation 5 in the most recent report reflects some of this. I'm considering the…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
I've already said that I recognise that as a problem, and I do want to try and address that issue in the future.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
It’s not just that funding there, is it? There’s a range of funding across the piece that will go in to address some of those challenges that Alun pointed to. We're working on our priorities for culture because that’s something that culture has told us they…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
I take your point on the Valleys. It’s something I’ve had discussions with my team around as well, and I think that would be something that we’d want to address in the future. I’m very conscious that we deliver against the proposals that are set out now, and…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
I think, Chair, the most appropriate way of doing that is allowing time for me to consider the responses to the consultation and to set out my plans and priorities for culture in an oral statement when we launch those priorities. But there will be a focus on…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
On the priorities for culture, Chair, as you know, the summary of responses on our consultation on the Welsh Government's priorities for culture were published on 6 January, and, actually, within that consultation, there was good support for the ambitions…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Chair, I think I've already said that there are a lot of challenges in the sector, and we will work with the sector. Just a point around saying that there's one institution saved—and that is a good institution, and I think we should all welcome that—that…
