National Assembly for Wales

Communities and Culture Committee

Report to Finance Committee on the Draft Budget

Background

Standing Order 27.3 states that:

"Committees other than the Finance Committee may consider and make recommendations to the Finance Committee on the draft budget for the government no later than two weeks after it has been laid before the Assembly.”

On 14 November 2007, the Committee scrutinised the Minister for Heritage, Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, on that part of the draft budget falling within his portfolio. Other relevant Ministers were unavailable at that time but the Committee intends to scrutinise the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, Dr Brian Gibbons AM, and the Deputy Minister for Housing, Jocelyn Davies AM, on 28 November and to lay a report before the Assembly.

This report is in accord with Standing Order 27.3 and focuses on the Heritage (Culture, Welsh Language and Sport) sections of the draft budget.

Key Points

The Committee:

  • Welcomes the extra £36 million for culture, Welsh language and sport over the next three years.
  • Notes that the £13.5 million to pay off the debts of the Wales Millennium Centre as announced in the Minister’s statement of             7 November, is not additional money in the budget but comes from under spending in previous years.
  • Welcomes the £2.5 million per annum to cover revenue expenditure on the Millennium Centre.
  • Welcomes the £2.5 million for activities outside Cardiff and noted that this is made up of £1.5 million to implement the recommendations of the Stephens Review and an additional £1.0 million for English-language national theatre - but notes that this latter component only applies to years 2 and 3. In year 1 there will be only £250,000 for the English-language theatre; to reflect the fact that the organisation will not be in a position to draw down the full amount, as key members of staff are yet to be recruited.
  • Notes that the Minister is awaiting the outcome of a review into the Welsh-language print industry and looked forward to discussing the recommendations of this review with the Minister.
  • Welcomes funding allocated for the refurbishment of libraries, to be distributed through CyMAL.
  • Notes the Minister’s assurance that, over the course of the next four years, there would be sufficient money in the budget to fund the cultural and heritage commitments in the 'One Wales’ document.
  • Notes that the Minister was not yet in a position to say how much money would be available for the National Botanic Garden and looks forward to an announcement on this matter in the near future.
  • Notes the commitment to establish an all-Wales collection of people’s history and that CyMAL is awaiting responses to a consultation on this matter. The Committee looks forward to an announcement on this matter in due course.
  • Welcomes the £13.5 million to encourage elite sport in Wales and also the intention to host the UK schools games in Wales in 2009.
  • Notes the importance of providing sufficient funding, some £12 million in the budget of the Welsh Language Board, for translation and fostering bilingualism outside the Assembly (for example, in the various institutions of the European Union) and intends to explore this matter further with the Minister at a subsequent meeting.

Conclusion

The Committee is broadly content with the funding allocated in the draft budget for activities within the portfolio of the Minister for Heritage.