, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: Evidence session with higher education and business representatives
So, what are those activities?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: Evidence session with higher education and business representatives
Okay, okay, but with all due respect, Amanda, that's fine, but that wasn't my question. My question was: are you actually involved in delivery? And from what I'm gleaning from your two answers, the answer is 'no'.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: Evidence session with higher education and business representatives
But in direct answer, Amanda, to my question, the answer is 'no'.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: Evidence session with higher education and business representatives
Okay. Not overly clear answers, I'm afraid, but let's try to move on a little bit. Let me focus on the education and research aspect of this, at the beginning. The action plan says that the two Governments will: 'Explore the possibility of establishing new…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: Evidence session with higher education and business representatives
Sorry, that answer wasn't very clear, I'm sorry, Amanda. My question was about the action plan, the shared statement. Are you saying that you were involved in particular elements of it, but not—? There's a chapter on, I think it's called 'education and…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: Evidence session with higher education and business representatives
And do you know of any other business organisations that were involved?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: Evidence session with higher education and business representatives
You were not involved.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Wales-Ireland relations: Evidence session with higher education and business representatives
That's a cracking final line there, Oliver, that you weren't involved in the shared prosperity fund, as we understand from UK Government that everybody is, but I'll resist the temptation to pursue that this morning, everybody will be pleased to hear. But I'm…
, Plenary
Debate: The President of the Welsh Tribunals Annual Report 2021-22
Like others in the debate this afternoon, I'd like to pay my own tribute to Sir Wyn Williams upon his retirement. It was good to be able to have the conversation with him last week at the committee. I think sometimes it demonstrates the power of actually…
, Plenary
Debate: The President of the Welsh Tribunals Annual Report 2021-22
I'm listening to your arguments on this matter of reform, and it will be no surprise to you that I agree with you very much. I'm interested therefore that the Government are asking us to vote against the Conservative amendment on this matter in the vote this…
, Plenary
Debate: The President of the Welsh Tribunals Annual Report 2021-22
Will the Minister give way?
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Do you agree with me, First Minister, that it's quite instructive that the Welsh Conservatives would prefer to support the UK Government than they would to stand up for Wales? I must have got my geography lessons terribly wrong at school, because I just…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
I'm grateful to you for your time this morning, Maggie. I think you've given us a very compelling vision for how you want to see the arts council going forward. Some of the evidence we've received from the arts council since the election of the current Senedd…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
I've finished.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
Thank you.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
Well, I was looking beyond theatres, actually. We've got some very good venues in Blaenau Gwent, as it happens, but I'm thinking of the architecture, if you like, that goes beyond simply the building. But, taking us forward, how would you see yourself—?…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
—in the same sort of sense. We have the local theatres and the rest of it, but we don't have that catalyst, if you like.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
Yes, and I don't disagree, again, with that analysis but I would say there is no Llanover Hall or Chapter anywhere in Blaenau Gwent—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
Yes, I agree. I agree.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
My analysis would always be that a budget spent equally across the whole of Wales is actually a very unequal budget, because there are greater needs in some particular communities. How would your approach be in terms of the allocation of resources—so, more…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
In terms of the budget, I don't expect you to understand the budget before you've actually formally been appointed, but I'd like to understand your approach, rather than the detail of what happens.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
But it's also the role of the arts council to create those opportunities.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
The first is the physical one—venues and facilities, which you don't have in the same way as you'd have in the cities. And secondly, of course, it's the barriers up here, in people's minds—cultural barriers, if you like, or structural barriers—and I'm…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
And it's that geography that's on my mind. I agree with you about the issue around the careers, and you will have seen that in the BBC in your time there. I remember Welsh National Opera had a really good project next door in Merthyr some years ago, which…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the Arts Council of Wales
Yes.
