Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:45 pm on 16 July 2019.

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Photo of Adam Price Adam Price Plaid Cymru 1:45, 16 July 2019

That isn't what you're doing. I mean, your housing Minister actually gave a speech at Shelter, where she said that you're not ending them completely and you didn't want the perfect to be the end of the good. Why didn't you say that at your conference?

Now, the biggest promise, I guess, we make as public representatives is not to waste public money. Your Government has spent £9 million on a racing track and £123 million on a road that will never be built, but perhaps the most curious case of profligacy involves a photograph of Dylan Thomas. Seven years ago, Visit Wales, which was using the photo to promote the centenary of the poet's birth, was contacted by the owner of the copyright requesting that it should be removed. A day later, he was told that the image had been deleted and would not be used again. Nevertheless, Visit Wales went on to use the image both online and in print, and as a result, the copyright owner took legal action for breach of copyright. To date, you've spent over £800,000 on lawsuits in the UK and across the world, including over £1,600 flying two of your most senior tourism officials to a hearing in the Netherlands. The bill will soon reach £1 million, as you continue to appeal the judgments against you. This will be almost as much as what was spent five years ago on the entire Dylan Thomas centenary celebrations. How can you justify this waste of money, time and energy of your officials, or is it simply the case that the Welsh Government has nothing better to do?