4. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on Welsh Government funding for the arts and culture sector? OQ61510

Diolch, Alun. The Welsh Government will continue to work closely with the arts and culture sectors in Wales to ensure that they receive sufficient funding.

Paul Davies took the Chair.

I'm grateful to you for that, Cabinet Secretary. We've seen over recent weeks and months the issues with the national opera and the royal college, who have both been forced by funding cuts to take decisions that are going to have a significant impact on the availability of arts and culture for people across Wales. But we've also seen since 2009 significant cuts in Wales that go beyond that which has been seen in either England or Scotland. The arts council's budget, for example, has been cut by 25 per cent in real terms in that period of time—bigger cuts than have been seen in England and Scotland. In terms of local government funding for the arts and culture sector, we've seen a decline from something over 4 per cent of spending to a little over 2 per cent of spending. So, we've seen cuts from the Welsh Government and from local government that are over and above cuts to other sectors in the last decade or so. This has created the crisis in the arts and culture sector, and I hope that the new Cabinet Secretary will be able to ensure that we reverse these cuts and we ensure that the arts and culture sector is funded properly and on the same basis as other parts of our responsibilities.

Diolch yn fawr, Alun Davies. Wales's arts and culture sectors are absolutely critical—they're an integral part of our society and nation's well-being. As you know, the mechanism for funding is direct funding to support the arts and culture sector, the arts council and the arm's-length bodies that we fund particularly, but the responsibility that we take in terms of the arts and culture budget. I think you will have been pleased that I did announce on 5 September an additional £5 million in revenue this financial year, and that was in addition to the £3.7 million additional capital funding package announced in July by my predecessor, Lesley Griffiths, to protect and preserve Wales's national treasures, which is crucial for the national library and for our national museum. But I'm confident now that the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership will be taking forward the very constructive discussions I've had throughout the summer to address this issue.

Cabinet Secretary, over the summer, Caerphilly County Borough Council a raft of potential money-saving measures, including withdrawing funding for Blackwood Miners' Institute and Llancaiach Fawr. This move has sparked complete uproar and protest, as well as a petition calling for a rethink, which has gained more than 10,000 signatures to date. Blackwood Miners' Institute is a vital community asset and has become renowned for being a thriving arts and entertainment venue for a range of events staged there. Indeed, in the past, the miners' institute has hosted the likes of the Stereophonics, Black Sabbath and Coldplay, as well as the place where the Manic Street Preachers held one of their first-ever concerts. And Llancaiach Fawr is an extremely popular Tudor manor house tourist attraction, enticing hoards of visitors every year. Now, both of these sites, Cabinet Secretary, are indeed an integral part of the community's history, and the council cannot be allowed to get away with this. I have raised my concerns directly with the leader of the council, and I sincerely hope that they do reflect on the public outcry and drop these plans. But, Cabinet Secretary, in case they decide to push ahead regardless, is there any scope for the Welsh Government to intervene and save these important sites? Thank you.

The situation that has arisen in terms of Blackwood Miners' Institute has been raised with me, and I've discussed it with many Members over the past few weeks—I think Delyth Jewell, Hefin David, Rhianon Passmore, all Members in the region and in their own constituencies. So, it is important it's on the agenda today in terms of questions. It is, obviously, as you know, an issue for Caerphilly county council, and they've just concluded their consultation. Obviously, the local authority has had their representations as well. It's a multi-funded organisation, one of the Arts Council of Wales's multi-funded organisations. They're also, of course—Arts Council of Wales—very engaged with the team at Blackwood Miners' Institute to offer support.