Funding challenges are also seen in other parts of the culture sector with other national institutions feeling the squeeze. The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama has recently consulted on proposals to stop delivering some of its weekend programmes for young people. The funding situation facing the college is poor, but if these proposals do go ahead, Wales will be without a youth conservatoire to provide higher level training to young learners. Again, there is always a cap in place, it would appear, on the potential of our culture to flourish.

It’s not only culture that’s been hit hard. So have sport and physical activity. The Welsh Government has repeatedly told us time and time again that

'Sport can be the nation’s most effective preventative health tool'.

We as a committee agree. But where is the coherence in funding the NHS by cutting Sport Wales's budget by 8 per cent, thereby storing up bigger and more expensive problems for the NHS in future? If we're serious about protecting the national health service, we need to look at prevention as well as cure.

The real effect of decisions taken last year is now cutting through to our culture and sports bodies. Whilst the recent funding announcement for museums and the national library made by the previous Cabinet Secretary for culture was most welcome, it was a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed, something she recognised.

The committee will continue to make its calls for the Government to deliver sufficient funding to support culture and sport. We will, however, be constructive too. That's why we'll soon be launching an inquiry on the impact of funding reductions in culture and sport. We will be looking to provide recommendations to the Welsh Government in advance of the publication of the draft budget later this year. The Welsh Government must review the impact of this year’s cuts and make changes in the next financial year, and the committee looks forward to playing its role in this.