, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
And you had reports from staff directly.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
Surely you would have known how—. Come on.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
Well, where were you? Why didn't you realise? If the situation was as bad as you've described to us this afternoon, why didn't you realise what was happening? That's what I don't understand.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
And that's what causes concern for me. You've described—. And I don't think anyone denies your evidence this afternoon, Rhodri, about the atmosphere in S4C. You were the chair and you didn't know anything about it. And we have to ask the question then: where…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
But the question, Rhodri, is that you were responsible for her and her behaviour and her work. You were responsible for it.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
Really?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
You have decades of experience in this area, Rhodri. Decades of experience. You are an experienced chairperson, and you didn't know until you received a letter from the union what was happening within the organisation where you were chair.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
I find that quite incredible, because you are an experienced manager.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
That's the workforce you were responsible for, and you didn't know anything about it.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
'During our meetings, 10 of the participants broke down crying, mostly while discussing their experiences in the S4C workplace.' It goes on: 'I left because I didn't feel for any reason that I had a choice but to leave the cause of the situation. The Chief…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
The problem I have with that is that Capital Law's report suggests and says something quite different. I'll read one part of it to you:
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
And it can be difficult for non-execs, I accept that, because you're not there on a daily basis; you walk in, and behaviours tend to be different when non-execs are around. I accept and understand that. However, I come back to the point that there were…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
And do you know, Chris, I agree with that way of working—I've got no issue with any of that. But I find it really curious to say the least that—it's not a big board, it's not a large organisation—no non-exec had any inkling of the depth of the problems facing…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
I want to go back to that, if I may, Rhodri. Rhodri and Chris, both of you have been clear in your evidence this afternoon that the first time you heard about the staff experiences and the problems within the organisation was in April of last year. I think…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations concerning bullying at S4C: evidence session with S4C
Could I just put on record—? It's not an interest in terms of Standing Orders, but I do think I should place on the public record that I used to be a member of the management team at S4C and I know both witnesses before us this afternoon.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I'm satisfied with that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I'm going to ask the question that's very difficult for me to ask, in a way. I agree with you when it comes to flexibility. That is important, and authorities have been saying that since I was a Member here; they want more flexibility, they want less…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Okay. So, how do you see this new grant, or this new way of funding the grants, providing support to the Bill that you're going to present in this year, I think?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I understand that, and that's why I'm asking the question, because, when authorities are under a great financial burden, as we all acknowledge they are currently, and then we ask councils to expand provision, and that doesn't just include new schools, that's…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Yes, I understand that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Yes, but it is more schools.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Yes. I am interested in this because, of course, there is a new Welsh-medium school in my own town, in Tredegar, and I've been looking at the process of making decisions and then administering the process, and then the process of creating a school. What I'm…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Okay. Perhaps it would be easier, rather than for me to ask the question, for you to answer the question.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Thank you. I'd like to return to 'Cymraeg 2050', if I may. You said, if I understood it correctly, that you're putting grants together for local authority education grants, and that the purpose of this is to reduce the administrative burden of different…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I don't disagree with that. Would there be a way, therefore, for you, Minister, to write to us with the analysis that you have of the impact of any cuts in other departments on Welsh language policies? We've named two departments, but every department is the…
