, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
Having these conversations, of course, raises other questions, doesn't it, about the operations of these different bodies? And I'm interested to know about how Sport Wales sees its role, and interprets the responsibilities it has. If you're made aware of an…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
So, you were only ever aware of one non-disclosure agreement.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
One in total in the WRU?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
One—you were aware of?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
Were you aware that non-disclosure agreements were in common use in the WRU?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
These sessions are always very difficult when—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
You knew there was a tribunal. So, you knew there was a problem.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
Okay. That's got to where—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
I'm trying to ask a question that gets an answer that makes me feel comfortable, and every time I ask you a question—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
Well, this is it, you see—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
And I wouldn't criticise that approach. I think that's the correct approach, as it happens. And I also accept that the knowledge of the failures of governance at the WRU was common knowledge—it wasn't a secret. I've discussed it with senior officials in the…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
Of course they do.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
But—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
Well, I didn't have any knowledge of that, but you're saying you had informal knowledge. This is what I keep coming back to. And I'm also not convinced by your answer that Sport Wales has no powers in these matters, because your remit letters—I don't have…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
That's why I keep coming back to you: you've conditionalised that answer again. You had no 'formal knowledge'. So, you did have informal knowledge is what I gain from that answer.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
You had no knowledge of any of these cultural issues.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
Completely.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
No. Perhaps I'm not phrasing the question properly, but your answer to the previous question was so conditional as to make me feel that Sport Wales, corporately, knew or had good reason to suspect that there were serious cultural problems in the WRU, and you…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
My feeling is—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
What we've seen since January, the reason we're here today.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
The ones that have been reported, the behavioural issues.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with Sport Wales
I'm grateful. Thank you. You gave a very conditional response, Brian, to the Chair's questions on what you knew prior to last month. You hedged your answer and you made it very conditional, in terms of 'hearsay', 'we'd heard', 'public domain'. You didn't give…
, Plenary
Debate: The Police Settlement 2023-24
I will be voting for the police settlement this afternoon, but it gives me no pleasure to vote for a settlement that provides even further cuts to our policing services up and down Wales. Mark Isherwood pays tribute to his colleagues in London for the work…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Ukraine Humanitarian Response
The final point I'll make is that we do also need to provide the means by which Ukraine can fight Putin and Putin's war machine, and that means also supporting manufacturers in Wales who are able to produce weapons and ammunition to enable the Ukrainian army…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Ukraine Humanitarian Response
You have, and you're very generous. The final—
