, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Right, I'm going to bring Heledd in.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
I know that Heledd wants to come in on this, but just on Alun's point, would you recognise, in Alun's framing, that the Welsh Government—it's an argument that we've made as a committee—has underfunded these sectors for a very long time?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
But by a significantly higher—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Is that something that you would hope to seek to emulate, perhaps?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Forgive me interrupting you, Minister, but Scotland has faced a number of pressures as well, and they have chosen to increase arts funding.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Back to Alun.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you for that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Okay. Just before we come back to Alun, I think that, perhaps, the point that Members are alluding to would be that because of that difference in opinion between the arts council and the Government about whether there is a crisis, once there is an…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Alun, just before you carry on, I think Heledd wants to say something
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Okay. Thank you for that. We'll move on to Alun.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
When you do—forgive me, Heledd—get that information, we’d be very grateful if you could share that with the committee, please.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Okay. Thank you for that. We'll move on. Heledd.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
We'd all agree with that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Okay, thank you. Heledd, one final question on this, and then we will have to move on.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Would it be your hope that this trajectory would continue?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you for that. Heledd wants to come in.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you for that. At this point, I'd like to welcome Jenny Rathbone, who's substituting in the committee this morning. You're very welcome. Alun wants to come in on that, and also Heledd. I'll go to Alun first and then Heledd.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Diolch, Weinidog. We understand. We'll go straight into questions, if that's all right. Can I check with you firstly, please—? In your evidence, you talk about how the overall revenue uplift will allow organisations to manage inflationary cost pressures, make…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you very much. And I understand, Minister, that Ruth Meadows will be joining us shortly.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Yes, we can.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
If we could unmute Steffan.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you. I think we might've been having some problems. I'm not sure whether Steffan can hear us. Steffan, would you like to introduce yourself?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Good morning and welcome back to this meeting for the second evidence session of our evidence sessions on the Welsh Government's draft budget. We are now going to hear from the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership. Welcome to you. I'll ask the…
