, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: International Relations
And a last question: how are you going to measure the contribution that the allocation makes to us back here in Wales? How is performance measured, please?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: International Relations
And will the allocation of funds be the same across all the international offices? Will there be a change in the Brussels office, for example?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: International Relations
Okay. And with regard to budget allocations for international offices—those need to be funded through revenue allocation and have to be in situ—what what will be the consequences there and the allocations there?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: International Relations
So, the First Minister is confident, therefore, that that covers it, basically.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: International Relations
With the real-terms cut in the revenue allocation for international relations, can you account for that simply through moves to such things as remote working and digital working, or are there likely to be longer term consequences for current provision?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Culture, Communications and Sport
I'll stop and I'll turn my mike off now, Chair. [Laughter.]
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Culture, Communications and Sport
Yes, and I think it's very difficult to objectively unpick all of that and I think the attitude is absolutely understandable. I'd like to come to the spectator sports fund and the £3 million allocation and ask a very similar question to the one that Delyth…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Culture, Communications and Sport
I was just going to say, without labouring the point, I think there is a comparator; the comparator would be the Cardiff City attendance when COVID passes were in place compared to, say, Bristol City, where they weren't. You know, there is a comparison that…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Culture, Communications and Sport
Without—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Culture, Communications and Sport
But is there clear evidence that you've got that the COVID pass hasn't had a negative financial consequence on either the demand or supply side? You're describing it—. You're giving anecdotal evidence, is there evidence you've gathered?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Culture, Communications and Sport
I take from that a positive answer to the question that there may be extra space in the budget to find funding where necessary, if necessary. I'll take that as a 'yes' to my question. But the other issue, then, of course, is the impact of COVID passes, which…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Culture, Communications and Sport
Deputy Minister, did you want to say anything?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Culture, Communications and Sport
But I did want to come back to that comparator issue. I absolutely understand the fact that, prior to 26 December, the comparator was valid, but the comparator's not the same since 26 December, given that the English sectors have been open, whereas the Welsh…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Culture, Communications and Sport
Yes. I absolutely categorically support the measures that have been undertaken. There's no question about that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Culture, Communications and Sport
Comparing England with Wales at this point in the cycle is probably less representative, given that the sector has been closed, or certainly constrained, in Wales to an extent that it hasn't been in England, with those restrictions still in place at least…
