2 February 2023 , Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Sure. I think, to be fair, Heledd, the letter that I had gave me no detail; it just talked in general terms about sexism and misogyny, which I think it had been widely known within the WRU, probably for many, many years, probably going back 20 years, that…
2 February 2023 , Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Okay, and I think that's a very fair question. I had a letter from Tonia on 9 May. Primarily, that letter was setting out concerns about the women's game. Much of those concerns, of course, were already in the public domain by that time. Certainly, before…
2 February 2023 , Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
My pleasure.
2 February 2023 , Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Thank you, all, for being with us. We'll move straight into questions, if that's all right with you. So, we will go straight to Heledd Fychan.
2 February 2023 , Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Indeed. On my right, I've got Jason Thomas, who's the director of culture, sport and tourism, and on my left is Steffan Roberts, who heads up the tourism and sport department.
31 January 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
The support for team sports goes through the national governing bodies. Individual support can be afforded, as I've said, for individuals if they are referred through their national governing body through to Sport Wales.
31 January 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Of course, the vision for sport is the replacement strategy, so the strategy that you're talking about hasn't been updated, it's been replaced. We now have the vision for sport that seeks to promote Wales to the world through the performance of our elite…
31 January 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Sport Wales is the national organisation responsible for developing and promoting sport and physical activity in Wales and is doing so in line with its vision and strategy.
31 January 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
First, I think I have to go back to my original point and a point that you have acknowledged: local authorities have their own democratic mandate. We can’t direct local authorities to do what they want to do with money that they have within their rate support…
31 January 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
I'm very well aware of the pressures on many of our local authorities and public bodies. We have done whatever we can to support both national institutions and the local authorities. The local authorities, as you know, have had the best financial settlement…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Debate on the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Report—'Increasing costs: Impact on culture and sport'
Okay. So, Sport Wales I think is the point that was majored by Alun Davies, which concerns participation in sport and providing equal access. I spoke about this in committee last week, on the funding for Sport Wales and the way in which our funding is set out…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Debate on the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Report—'Increasing costs: Impact on culture and sport'
I was coming on to some of the points that you've raised earlier.
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Debate on the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Report—'Increasing costs: Impact on culture and sport'
—the Books Council of Wales and the independent creative industries in Wales.
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Debate on the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Report—'Increasing costs: Impact on culture and sport'
In respect of other recommendations raised in the debate today, our responses are as follows: on working with the national library to preserve its collections in recommendation 1, the Welsh Government is working with colleagues at the national library and…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Debate on the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Report—'Increasing costs: Impact on culture and sport'
I think you probably have to understand it from our perspective, because actually, working with UK Government is actually a contradiction in terms, because they don’t let you work with them; they dictate to you what they want to dictate to you, they trample…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Debate on the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Report—'Increasing costs: Impact on culture and sport'
To work with them, yes.
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Debate on the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Report—'Increasing costs: Impact on culture and sport'
Yes.
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Debate on the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Report—'Increasing costs: Impact on culture and sport'
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. Thank you. Can I put on record, first, my thanks to the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee for their in-depth and considered inquiry into the impact of rising costs on culture and…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
Yes, thank you, Delyth, and I think the intervention of the committee is very welcome and the support that the committee can offer here in terms of an inquiry to get beneath some of these issues, I think, would be very welcome and may be very, very helpful…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
Well, thank you, Joyce, and many of those points that you raise, I think I have covered in responses to previous questions, and, again, I don't disagree with an awful lot of what you say. We have a responsibility as a Welsh Government, certainly, to ensure…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
I heard that call for an independent regulator come from Tonia Antoniazzi in the programme. It's the first time I've heard that call made by anybody, so I would need to have some discussion with officials about what that might look like, how that would work…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
Thanks, Heledd. Again, all very valid points that I would again associate myself with. The WRU has had the opportunity to address these issues over a period of time. The conversation I had with the chief executive this morning was that he set out to me a…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
Thank you, Alun Davies, for those comments, and, again, I couldn't agree more with the issues that you raise. The need for cultural change is something that we know, in any organisation, is the most difficult thing to bring about. Cultural change takes time…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
Again, can I thank James Evans for those very powerful comments, which I would associate myself with? And can I start by making some general points in response? Firstly, the issues raised by the BBC investigation programme are without doubt devastating, and I…
25 January 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
Can I thank James Evans for that question? I've met with the WRU twice in the last two days on the immediate actions that it must take to address the allegations set out in this BBC investigation.
