Well, I agree with almost everything that’s been said in this debate so far and I applaud the mellow and statesman-like preamble of the Minister in relation to the role of the BBC in the national life of our country. There is far too much focus, as everybody agrees, in the BBC on London, even though they have made some moves out in recent years. The success of moving the news department up to Salford shows what can be done with a bit of imagination. As I look out across the bay here, I wonder why we can’t do something similar in relation to the Roath lock complex. There’s plenty of scope there.

The problem in recent years has, to a great extent, been—within a very substantial UK budget for the BBC—that the amount of money that has been available for regional and national broadcasting has been cut. BBC Cymru has had a 16 per cent cut in recent years and S4C in particular, I think, has had quite a struggle to cope with the reduction in its own budget. I’ve been very impressed, visiting them, to see what a lean operation they run. The quality of the management there, I think, is excellent. They’ve had to cope with a cut in budget in the last five years from £101 million a year to £82 million, as we moved from department of culture funding to BBC funding, and the small grant that they’ve retained from DCMS was cut by 26 per cent in 2015. So, they’ve had a 36 per cent cut in budget overall.

That’s a massive reduction in income for a relatively small broadcaster. Considering the unique role that S4C plays as the only Welsh language broadcaster in the world of television, I think that their achievement is significant. But, it’s a pity that they’ve had to cope with those difficulties. I hope that we can take account of that in the changes that will come about, possibly, as a result of this charter revision.

The effects on S4C have been referred to in the report of the fourth Assembly’s Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee, and the challenges that they’ve had to surmount are well set out. But, what we need, I think, going forward for S4C, is not just a series of arbitrary cuts or decisions on funding, but a thorough-going review of the principles upon which S4C is going to be funded. I agree with the evidence that was given to that committee in the last Assembly by Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, who said that it simply isn’t acceptable that a department in Whitehall, with a Minister who doesn’t represent Wales, makes the decision about the only Welsh language channel in existence. Therefore, it is right that this Assembly should assume the role of holding the public broadcasters in Wales to account, but also be instrumental in the making of broadcasting policy for these institutions.

So, I support, and my party supports, what has been said by others in this debate today. We will, today, be supporting the Plaid Cymru amendments to this motion as well, although we don’t actually share the view on what’s described as the

‘budget consequences of the new “cash-flat” licence fee’.

We have to remember that this is a tax upon the British people. At a time of austerity, so we’re told, the licence fee has a significant impact upon the incomes of people who are not paid very much. Nevertheless, we are going to support all of the amendments that Plaid has put forward this afternoon.

As a member of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee, which is so ably chaired by this budding member of the establishment opposite, I hope to play my part in not just the future discussions, but, I hope, following on from what Lee Waters said earlier, in what you might call confirmation hearings, as well. I think it is very important for this Assembly to play that scrutiny role in a meaningful way. Yes, it is going to be the responsibility of the Welsh Government to approve the appointment of who is going to represent Wales in the structure of the BBC, but I do think that this Assembly ought to have a kind of co-decision power in this respect. This is all part of this Assembly, perhaps, flexing its muscles and discovering what its true strengths will be.

So, the charter is a new beginning for the BBC, but then it has a new beginning every 10 years. I think that what is proposed in the changes that are on offer is undoubtedly an advance on what we’ve seen in the past; therefore, my party will support it. Thank you.