3. 3. Statement by the Chair of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee on the Committee’s Approach to its Remit and How it Plans to Engage with the Public in Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:46 pm on 28 September 2016.

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Photo of Bethan Sayed Bethan Sayed Plaid Cymru 2:46, 28 September 2016

(Translated)

Thank you. I didn’t pay Dai to say those kind words. [Interruption.] It would be a scandal, of course, if that had happened.

I think it is important that we should communicate with the people of Wales in an innovative way. As I said in response to Suzy Davies, we have to look at models from other nations across the globe to see how they communicate with people. There isn’t one silver bullet that any of us has in this room. We all do our best, but there may be some innovative, new and radical ways that we should adopt. There are ideas coming into my head and people say, ‘Well, no, perhaps we shouldn’t try that’. For example, I thought that we could perhaps have a choir singing the committee’s terms of reference, but perhaps that was just a step too far for the clerks in the committee team. There are ways of doing these things. I was just making the point that, if we are a committee for the media and the arts, then how do we use the arts in our work, rather than simply bringing people in to give evidence to the committee? I do think that there is something creative that we could look at here.

Again, Dai Lloyd mentioned Historic Wales and, again, I would say of course it is something that we as a committee will consider. It would be very strange indeed if something were to be done without us taking note of it, but it’s not for me alone to make that decision. I would like to discuss that further with each member of the committee. It is important that national institutions are protected and it’s important that we take a strong stance in that regard.

In terms of the target of a million Welsh speakers, I do hope that people will be content that this committee’s first focus will be the Welsh language and that people can have a clear input into the Minister’s work in terms of his new strategy to reach that innovative target of a million Welsh speakers. I do think it’s important that we play a central role in ensuring that we do shape what the Government does to ensure that that target is achievable and that the Government can attain that target and that we’re not in a situation where that doesn’t happen and that we need to review the situation again. There are very many people who are in favour and are supportive of that objective and it’s important that we are supportive of that too.