, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National Museum Wales and Arts Council of Wales: delivery of joint projects
So, what does that mean for my constituency?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National Museum Wales and Arts Council of Wales: delivery of joint projects
Tell me what you mean by that. Tell me what you mean by that. What does that mean?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National Museum Wales and Arts Council of Wales: delivery of joint projects
Tell us what you mean by that now, because I agree with you, by the way, about the library and a contemporary arts gallery. For example, I know that the gallery has a number of collections that would be useful in that, but I liked what you were saying earlier…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National Museum Wales and Arts Council of Wales: delivery of joint projects
Okay, well, talk about it now.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National Museum Wales and Arts Council of Wales: delivery of joint projects
Thank you. That's very useful to know about the arts council's role there. In terms of working together and developing ideas, the contemporary arts gallery is something that I'm very interested in. It was part of an agreement here between Labour and Plaid…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Sorry—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Owain, if I could just come in there, I agree with you on a high level—the national library is the library of the world in many ways, and it records our history as a nation. But also it records our history where we are: the history of communities, towns…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Sorry.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
I'd like to come to Aberystwyth to have this conversation with you, and perhaps with you in Cardiff, to continue with these conversations. I've been using your collections in the library at home in Blaenau Gwent—the photographs of the Ebbw Vale Eisteddfod…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Can we capture that information, though, as a committee? Because I think it would be useful to come back to that point.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
That sounds fascinating. Tell me what you mean by it.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
David Thomas, you spoke, in your introduction, about the public-facing services provided by the royal commission. I was fascinated by that; it's something, quite frankly, that I don't know very much about, and that's my fault—I accept that. But you were…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Is that the same in your experience, Nêst, and do you have any numbers from the royal commission?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Yes, clearly you would, and I've got no issue with that. You said it was 30 or 40 per cent, did you, in terms of pre-COVID participation or visitor numbers.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Okay, and to the three of you—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Yes, that's fair enough, but could I ask you if you agree with the points that Sharon has made on funding these institutions? Also, do you agree with Chris's comments on how policy works?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
You were trying to come in at that point. I just wanted to follow up that point with Chris.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
I think that's important, and I think that's something we should be taking up as a committee with the Government as well. I completely accept that point of view. I'm sorry, Nêst, I think you—.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
I would appreciate Nêst's response as well, but I didn't want to lose the point here. I think you're right in terms of policy, because policy does drive the civil service and the rest of it. So, what are the policy considerations that you believe are missing?…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
I just wanted to pursue the point with Chris.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Okay, I get that, and I think that's very reasonable.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Look, I'm sure you would argue that. I'm yet to meet any association of that sort that hasn't made that argument, and I don't blame you for doing it, by the way—if I was in your shoes, I'd do exactly the same. But, can I ask perhaps a more difficult question…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
If I could, I'll just continue that part of the conversation. You say, Sharon, that you'd like to see more investment in the string of pearls, which is a lovely description, of our local museums. That implies to me that there isn't that investment taking…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
Okay.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
One-day inquiry into heritage, museums and archives
So, she didn't say anything about additional funding or guarantees of existing funding streams.
