, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Well, clearly, the work on charter renewal is happening now. When I wasn't in Government, I did ensure that we did submit evidence to that. This committee in the past has been very clear in writing to the DCMS on the importance of Wales having a voice, that…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
I accept that that was the figure indicated, but I want to make sure whether that is the genuine figure, or is it more? Is it less? Those are the kinds of things that, in Government now, I'm able to scrutinise much better before I come before you for scrutiny.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
That's something that I want to see as the next stage of that work, because clearly we need to understand what the costs are and look in detail at those.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Yes.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Yes.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Yes. The initial cost being invested in this financial year is £45,000, and that's to develop the work further. As costs become clearer, those are then obviously going to be decisions for Government in terms of how we take that forward. But that's the initial…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
I'm extremely concerned, and I do hope that it's something that we as a Government and you as a committee can really look at, and hopefully we'll be able to co-operate in addressing these concerns. Because that's what's difficult at the moment: we don't have…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
I don't know if you've had a chance to look at the reports by the expert panel on a shadow broadcasting and communications authority for Wales, but I think it shows clearly the work that needs to happen. Because, obviously, how people digest news is very…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Well, some of the things we have addressed, in terms of being able to support there being a journalist here in the Senedd. Obviously, that person is completely neutral in terms of how they are; we have no say in terms of what they publish or not. But we're…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Well, perhaps we could share some of the reports that have been published by the Institute of Welsh Affairs and so on, if the committee would find it helpful to really understand why we're actually listening to experts in this field, why academic research…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Well, please ask DCMS to come here and ask them those questions, because clearly we've made the case for it, there's been cross-party agreement previously that that should be the case, but that's not the case. We will continue to make that case clearly and…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Well, we are.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
But the shadow broadcasting and communications authority for Wales isn't the devolution of broadcasting—they're two separate things. Obviously, the shadow broadcasting authority addresses all of these in terms of looking at how those models would work, how we…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Well, if we look at the evidence that's actually been submitted to various inquiries, and actually look at the reality on the ground, we shouldn't take for granted that that's secure at the moment. BBC, ITV and S4C have all over the summer outlined the…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
I would think that we would all see that there are huge challenges at the moment with our public service broadcasting in terms of cuts that they've seen, additional cuts announced over the summer, and why we need a strong media for our democracy, which holds…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
We are starting with nine local authorities, and the intention there is to learn lessons, as Rebeca mentioned, in terms of the different challenges in urban areas and rural areas, and we truly need to see what the challenges are whether this is having the…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
That's a very good question, because that is one of the challenges. I do think that when things are lost, it just shows people how challenging it is. And that's why it was very difficult without truly understanding what the situation is, and also working with…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Thank you for that question. I think that one of the greatest challenges, as I mentioned, is the lack of data that has existed in terms of understanding, first, what has been lost, what's at risk of being lost that has somehow managed to survive to date, and…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
It's a question I'm asking at the moment. I don't know if it will be in the strategy itself because it will be very different for each of the organisations and the sectors in terms of how they do that. Clearly, that has to be something we look at. I've been…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
I share your concerns. I would be on record asking questions of previous Ministers on this, because it is a hugely important venue, as you've outlined, for our nation, as well as our capital city. I haven't had that dialogue yet. I have met informally with…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Yes, and I think it's really important that we learn from what's happened in terms of that dispersed model, and, obviously, as part of developing the new strategy, I completely agree with you. I don't want to leave this committee under any ambiguity. I would…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
We are looking at a number of measures, and this comes back to the point that Paul Davies was asking me in terms of measures as well. Obviously, some of it will be economic, some of it is about health and well-being and prevention, and it's trying to look at…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Not necessarily. I think what I'm saying is that I don't know at this point in time. Clearly, the Government does not have the kinds of sums available to it at the moment, unless it was to take away from what's needed in terms of that backlog maintenance. But…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
Well, at the moment, none of our national institutions are self-funding. So, we are in a very different position to some nations, when you look in terms of philanthropy and so on. So, I do think, in terms of the future of the sector, looking at how we…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session
I think it's important that we remain ambitious as a Government and identify those projects that we should have as a nation, and I would argue that we should have a national gallery of contemporary art. I think that challenge then is that, when you see the…
