, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Yes, absolutely. So, the young person’s guarantee is a programme for government commitment, Chair, and I think it's one that we're all proud to support in the way that we do. It's a flagship programme, so this is being recognised in other areas across the UK…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Yes.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
So, I think, more generally on that point, if you look at Community union and the work that they are doing in the town of Port Talbot—and the Cabinet Secretary, I think, has visited the support network that they have there—the funding available via WULF does…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Yes. Thanks, Hannah, for the question. The Cabinet Secretary's referred to the ReAct+ programme, which we are maintaining at £4.75 million, but there are other offers that we offer for those currently in Tata Steel, and one of those programmes is the Wales…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
I’m grateful, Chair. The Cabinet Secretary mentioned aerospace earlier, and the skills offer is where we can really add value to the Welsh economy. The example of aerospace in north-east Wales, in my own constituency, Chair, proves just that, doesn’t it? We…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Diolch, Cadeirydd. Just to add to the Cabinet Secretary’s points there, the Chair mentioned redundancies, in particular, in his question. I think that it is worth noting our programme and our response to those events, and the ReAct+ programme. So, in this…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
Diolch, Chair, and we look forward to being back in a couple of weeks’ time.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
The Football Association of Wales does some great work on this, particularly in view of the Euro 2028 legacy work that's going on. I'm hopeful that they can go on to do more of that work.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
I will be happy to do that. I think one area we didn't cover perhaps, Chair, was around sporting facilities, and I know Laura has a keen interest in that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
I think the Member raised writing to me with more things. There are things that we haven't covered today.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
Sure. I'm aware of the issue that the Member describes, and I think the publishing industry plays and will go on to play a key role in supporting literacy improvements, but also supporting the Welsh language as well, and I'm keen for the publishing industry…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
Let's give the example of the work that Connah's Quay Town are doing in mental health. If that can be replicated across the country, say, and that's not a commitment to doing that, but if that could be replicated, then, I'm very supportive of trying to see…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
On the principle, I think, I've said that already. I'm very supportive of the principle.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
So, on the wider point, again, I won't be able to go into that detail. But I think the work of the budget improvement impact advisory group in embedding prevention processes is an important part of the budget process and we'll carry on having those…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
We are in budget discussions now. We are having budget discussions now about where we can, perhaps, do things and can't do things. So, I'm having discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the importance of the role. I think I've said in response to Laura that…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
That is a difficult question to answer, I think, in this setting. It does happen. So, we do see things where money comes from the education department and money comes from health, for example. I don't have the overall figure, Chair, in mind. The Member…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
Diolch, Laura. Chair, I'm grateful for the work that Laura does in chairing the cross-party group on sport. I enjoyed my time on that group and I think the work of the group will go on to be invaluable to me in this role. The question around placing statutory…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
But I think we've covered off quite where we are.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
—and, as I say, if the committee wants to make a recommendation as to why that would be different on the evidence that you've heard, then I'd be open to considering what that looks like in the future.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
So, we can definitely do that—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
So, again, Chair, at the risk of repeating myself, I think I'm content with where the process is at the moment. If the committee is minded to tell me that the process should be different, and then it sets out the case—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
Well, I'm not in charge of local authorities—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
Look, it's public finances, isn't it—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
As I say, look, I think that is the right process, Chair, on all of these things. I'm happy to be persuaded otherwise. If the committee wants to make a recommendation that that wasn't needed, and the committee is minded to have that view as a whole, then I'll…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Impact of funding reductions for culture and sport: Evidence session with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership (10)
So, the development of a business case is one that I think needs to take place, and they are in that process. So, my officials have worked alongside Amgueddfa Cymru to develop that business case, so we've supported them through that process. I believe that is…
