, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Can I start by wishing the First Minister a happy birthday today? I'm sure that's on all sides of the Chamber a matter of disagreement, but there we go. We're also, of course, this week marking the anniversary of Liz Truss becoming Prime Minister. We listen…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the First Minister
I think we should say clearly on the record that the work of Derek Vaughan is greatly appreciated by partners across in Brussels, and certainly the role and place of the Welsh Government was something that I think many of the people we met commented very…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the First Minister
I’m aware of time. It might be useful, First Minister, if perhaps you could write to us with some preliminary views of a potential Welsh Government starting position, shall we say, because these matters need to be discussed and we've got opportunities to do…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the First Minister
We had some very good meetings in Brussels as a committee. One of the things that stay in my mind was David McAllister, the Christian Democratic MEP and chair of the Parliament's foreign affairs committee, of course, telling us very clearly that the door is…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the First Minister
Or that he's not to blame, perhaps. But we need to have structures that act independently of personality, don't we?
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the First Minister
I don't disagree with that at all, but doesn't that tell you that the inter-governmentalism that we’ve seen over the last period is simply not working? Because inter-governmentalism—the meetings with you, the Prime Minister, the First Ministers and the rest…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the First Minister
I'm grateful to you. I agree with the point that you make, First Minister, in terms of a pragmatic approach to the use of LCMs. I think opposing every LCM on principle is as bad as accepting every LCM on principle; they're two extremes, and I'm very happy for…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the First Minister
I agree.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the First Minister
Yes. I was just thinking how elegant that would look in written form, arriving from the Cabinet Office, saying, 'We don't recognise that a dispute exists.' But in terms of where we're going next, I'd like to just dig a bit further into the consequences, if…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Scrutiny session with the First Minister
The First Minister might have answered the question I was going to ask in that last sentence, but I'll ask anyway to see if there's a different answer. Why do you think that is? You've always—. In the time you've been First Minister, you've always set great…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
I've read all of that, and I'm reading it in front of me as you're speaking, but I'm not convinced that it provides me with the knowledge, the understanding upon which you are going to take these decisions in the next six months or so.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
Yes, I'm reading it; I've got it in front of me.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
I'm reading through this at the moment again, and it doesn't feel that you've got that worked out, but we can go round in circles on this. My concern is that the Government doesn't have a clear, worked out model, an objective, for what it seeks to achieve…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
I've read it, but it didn't feel that you've been answering those questions this morning.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
Well, I haven't seen those.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
—if you want to set out those criteria.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
I understand that, but I would have anticipated that the Government would also have a very clear vision for what it wants to achieve with public resources. And also, if it's taking decisions on things like an anchor site, that you'd have very clear criteria…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
Look, if I'm quite honest with you, it sounds like you're all busking here in answer to this question—'It could be this, it could be that, it could be something different.' It doesn't feel that you've got this clarified in your minds. It doesn't feel like the…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
Yes, I have. I'm trying to work out whether they've been answered.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
Yes, please do.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
So, it would have a curatorial role, but it wouldn't determine what is actually on display.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
So, it's an administrative centre.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
You must have criteria as a Government.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
So, what's your criteria for making that choice?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
National contemporary art gallery: Ministerial evidence session
You're parodying what I'm saying, and I'm not going to let you get away with that, because I'm not arguing, and I haven't argued, that everything should be maintained in one place and kept in one place under lock and key. I've never argued that and I've never…
