Written question WQ90266

Wales’ arts and culture sectors are an integral part of our society and nation’s wellbeing. The Welsh Government has acted to mitigate the full scale of the budget pressures on them, but there is no budget flexibility which could prevent reductions to their budgets.

The Welsh Government continues to work closely with our cultural arm’s length bodies as they develop new plans to operate within their revised budgets, while minimising job losses. We are also aware that organisations and institutions within the local cultural sectors continue to feel the pressure of the cost of living crisis and on the funding they receive from their governing bodies. The Welsh Government acts as the development agency for local museums, archives and libraries and as such we will monitor the situation, working with organisations to ensure our support prioritises their needs, statutory obligations and key Programme for Government commitments.