7. Plaid Cymru Debate: Funding for the National Library

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:34 pm on 3 February 2021.

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Photo of Mick Antoniw Mick Antoniw Labour 4:34, 3 February 2021

I agree with all those sentiments that have been expressed by David Melding. Of course, we had evidence sessions within the culture committee from the National Library of Wales, and explored with them, I think, the challenges they face and also the tremendous opportunities they have. And just to say, of course, I think it's in the National Library of Wales that we've deposited the Wales anti-apartheid archives, and hopefully the history of that will be written in the near future. They also hold the Gareth Jones archives and, of course, people will be aware of the recent film, Mr Jones, which has had quite international acclaim and reflects very well in terms of Wales.

I welcome very much—and I think David Melding was absolutely right that it would be churlish not to recognise it—the additional funding that the Deputy Minister has announced in respect of that and the museum. I welcome this very much, because a big concern of mine was the actual position of the people who work in it, the skills that exist there and the importance to the local economy.

I do regret the tone, turning the issue into what was almost a Plaid Cymru party political broadcast, and I regret—and I had some calls, actually, quite angered by—the comments made by the leader of Plaid Cymru, saying that we currently face nothing less than cultural vandalism by the Labour Government; that this is somehow a deliberate decision that's been taken by a Labour Government to destroy Welsh culture. I think that really is most offensive. For example, when Ceredigion—Plaid Cymru—Ceredigion council was closing libraries, we recognised the pressures on councils in austerity; we don't call that 'cultural vandalism'. Equally so, here, what we do know is that there have been major financial challenges. We have had 10 years of austerity; we know that there are also serious management issues that have arisen over quite a long period of time, et cetera.

But listen, I want to move away from that, because I just think that tone was very unfortunate in what should be something about talking about the future of one of our most valuable cultural and heritage institutions. There are major opportunities available to us: the BBC archives, the issue of digitisation. And can I say one thing? One of the real opportunities for the future, as we look forward to developing a plan of sustainability for these institutions, is within education, is the way of the interlink between these assets that they have, actually ensuring that they are not just contained within the four walls of the libraries, that we make them accessible to people, accessible to schools, accessible to people so people can access those icons of their history for the future. I think that's where the challenge is. And of course, there has to be a plan; the tailored review, I think, has identified many of those. I'm very pleased to see the work that's gone on with Welsh Government to develop a sustainable plan for the future, and I think the funding announcement that was announced this morning will make a very substantial contribution to that. Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd.