, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
So, just to be clear: everything you’re talking about in the context of Llanberis sits outwith any proposal that the Government may bring forward in terms of creating a museum for the north, and from your point of view, you don’t know what’s happening in that…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
So, are you convinced that the Government gets that? Do they understand what the implications are of not receiving that money, and therefore it's a choice that they have to make?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
So, what about the relationship you have with Welsh Government? Clearly, they're aware of this, are they not?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
Thank you very much. Returning to capital, you have painted a very serious picture there. The picture that we were concerned about as a committee in terms of the safety of the national collections is something that we've raised consistently. What you're…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
You spoke about not just cutting across the board, and perhaps focusing on greater quality in some areas than others. There's no suggestion there's a risk to any of the sites is there?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
Thank you. There's a lot there, isn't there? You said at the outset that you'd been asked to model for a significant cut. Could you tell us what that level is? And have you had that request in terms of capital and revenue?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
Good morning. Welcome. We're all awaiting the budget, in a few weeks' time, for 2024-25. May I ask what the impact the earmarking of a flat or a reduced budget would be on the activities of the museum next year?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
Well, yes.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
So, those are the global figures for the sector; I was just asking about venues specifically. Is that reflected, not necessarily proportionately, but clearly there's an uplift in the practical costs of running a building et cetera?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
Okay. I also just wanted to ask how increased running costs for venues are reflected here and are borne in mind, because energy costs and so on have gone up. I see that there's been an increase in that budget line, but to what extent is that down to higher…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
Yes, in the review.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
That's a fair point. Just to ask too, clearly, you have a process of supporting organisations that aren't funded and the implications for them. Can you talk about some of the most important elements, as you see them, in that support that you provide, please?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
Thank you very much. One of the intentions of the investment review is to lead to more flexible funding arrangements, in the sense that there is a longer funding cycle so that people can have that certainty. But how do you balance that, to ensure that there…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
Collateral damage.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
So, were you mapping it out?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
Okay. Just finally, if I may, in terms of the process, clearly, you consider the merits of individual applications in a particular context, depending on what they are asking for and what the wider hinterland is in terms of the work that they do. To what…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
That sounds to me a bit reactive, rather than you being on it as far as the state of the sector is concerned.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
So, if high-quality applications of an appropriate level would have been received, what you're saying is that you wouldn't have undertaken a review of that specific sector.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Arts Council of Wales - Autumn 2023
I don't want to be drawn into discussions of individual cases and individual interventions. But it seems to me that you're putting the cart in front of the horse, if you're making strategic decisions with long-term implications for a specific sector without…
, Plenary
& 13. The general principles of the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill and the financial resolution in respect of the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
As we've heard from the Minister, the primary objective of the infrastructure Bill is to bring clarity and efficiency to the infrastructure planning process while enhancing community engagement. However, our analysis, which has been supported by contributions…
, Plenary
& 13. The general principles of the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill and the financial resolution in respect of the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill
Thank you very much, Llywydd. At the beginning, I would like to thank Mark Southgate, who acted as expert adviser to the committee on this Bill. His advice and his insights were invaluable, truth be told, to the committee in conducting its work. I’d also like…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
HSBC UK Welsh Service Line: evidence session with HSBC UK
Well, I fear you may have a former customer who's very unhappy here as well.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
HSBC UK Welsh Service Line: evidence session with HSBC UK
But as a Welsh speaker, what I'm hearing from that is that I am not a priority of yours, that I am very much down the bottom of the list—so far, actually, that I'm not even on the list, currently. How do you think that statement makes me feel as a Welsh…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
HSBC UK Welsh Service Line: evidence session with HSBC UK
Two statistics have been highlighted this morning. One is the fact that there are 22 people on average using the Welsh language line on a daily basis. You've also said that only 6 per cent of those calls to the Welsh language line are dealt with through the…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
HSBC UK Welsh Service Line: evidence session with HSBC UK
So, that reference was in relation to those using the line, not all customers, as is stated in the letter. Because, obviously, there will be people out there who, for various reasons—maybe health or age or whatever—are struggling actually to access services…
