Support for the Arts

Part of 5. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 2:51 pm on 8 July 2020.

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Photo of David Melding David Melding Conservative 2:51, 8 July 2020

Well, of course, Deputy Minister, you could spend more than they're going to spend in England—the choice goes up and down, doesn't it? But I think it's very important that this hugely substantial aid that's now going to come to the arts sector in England and therefore will have a massive consequential—£59 million, or so—for Wales is spent in both an enterprising and a strategic way. I note in England the Minister there says that he wants to combine effective local support with preserving what he calls the crown jewels of the artistic infrastructure in England. And it does seem to me that our great institutions in Wales will need protection as well, because so many of them are just not going to be able to operate anything like a normal business model until well into 2021 at the best. So, can you assure us that you will be working with all these great institutions? And also, will you be taking the opportunity to further your Fusion plans in terms of access and equality in the arts, because it does seem to me that, given the level of this public support, we are going to be in a position to require that agenda to be progressed rapidly?