Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:53 pm on 10 July 2019.
Diolch yn fawr iawn. In the first instance, I want to thank all the industry leaders who contributed to this particular inquiry and everybody who gave evidence. I'd also like to thank the Government for their response to the film and television industry report that we produced. The committee was fortunate to see the up-and-coming talent at the University of South Wales when we launched our report, and we were able to use the green screens there to be creative ourselves, so we enjoyed that. It was very impressive to see the number of high-profile productions and the range of jobs the students are involved in. So, well done to the students there.
There is, obviously, good reason to celebrate the success of the film industry in this country. Over the last decade, growth has outstripped that across the UK, and studios here are responsible for international hits such as Doctor Who, His Dark Materials and Hinterland. But we have to move more swiftly and react faster to the demands of industry in a more agile way, and I simply don't believe that that's happening to the best of our abilities at the moment here in Wales.
So, this report covers the whole spectrum of the industry, from funding, training, production and promotion. But I want to concentrate on funding and the Welsh Government’s approach to support for the sector, and I know that other Members will talk about other elements of the report.