Diwylliant, Y Gymraeg a Chwaraeon the National Assembly for Wales the Culture, Welsh Language and Sport Committee

Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru Y Pwyllgor Diwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chwaraeon The National Assembly for Wales The Culture, Welsh Language and Sport Committee Dydd Iau, 30 Tachwedd 2006 Thursday, 30 November 2006 Cynnwys Contents Cyflwyniad, Ymddiheuriadau, Dirprwyon a Datgan Buddiannau Introduction, Apologies, Substitutions and Declarations of Interest Cofnodion y Cyfarfod Diwethaf a Hynt y Camau i’w Cymryd Minutes of Last Meeting and Progress on Action Points Adroddiad Blynyddol i’r Pwyllgor gan Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru Annual Report to Committee from National Museum Wales Adroddiad Blynyddol i’r Pwyllgor gan Lyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru Annual Report to Committee from National Library of Wales Cronfeydd Diwylliannol Ewrop European Cultural Funds Cynnig Trefniadol Procedural Motion Cofnodir y trafodion hyn yn yr iaith y llefarwyd hwy ynddi yn y pwyllgor. Yn ogystal, cynhwysir cyfieithiad Saesneg o gyfraniadau yn y Gymraeg. These proceedings are reported in the language in which they were spoken in the committee. In addition, an English translation of Welsh speeches is included. Aelodau Cynulliad yn bresennol: Rosemary Butler (Cadeirydd), Eleanor Burnham, Lisa Francis, Denise Idris Jones, Val Lloyd, Alun Pugh (y Gweinidog dros Ddiwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chwaraeon), Owen John Thomas. Swyddogion yn bresennol: Neil Cox, Gwasanaeth Ymchwil yr Aelodau; Gwilym Evans, Cyfarwyddwr Dros Dro y Gyfarwyddiaeth dros Ddiwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chwaraeon; Gwyn Griffiths, Cynghorydd Cyfreithiol y Pwyllgor; Ann John, Pennaeth, Cangen y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol a’r Amgueddfa Genedlaethol; Nia Lewis, Swyddfa Ewrop, Brwsel. Eraill yn bresennol: Andrew Green, Llyfrgellydd Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru; Robin Gwyn, Cyfarwyddwr Cyfathrebu Amgueddfa Cymru; Michael Houlihan, Cyfarwyddwr Cyffredinol Amgueddfa Cymru; Judith Ingram, Pennaeth Polisi a Chynllunio Amgueddfa Cymru; Dr R. Brinley Jones CBE, Llywydd Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru; Paul Loveluck CBE, YH, Llywydd Amgueddfa Cymru. Gwasanaeth y Pwyllgor: Julia Annand, Clerc; Vaughan Watkin, Dirprwy Glerc. Assembly Members in attendance: Rosemary Butler (Chair), Eleanor Burnham, Lisa Francis, Denise Idris Jones, Val Lloyd, Alun Pugh (the Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport), Owen John Thomas. Officials in attendance: Neil Cox, Members’ Research Service; Gwilym Evans, Acting Director, Directorate for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport; Gwyn Griffiths, Legal Adviser to the Committee; Ann John, Head, National Library and National Museum Branch; Nia Lewis, European Office, Brussels. Others in attendance: Andrew Green, Librarian, National Library of Wales; Robin Gwyn, Director of Communication, National Museum Wales; Michael Houlihan, Director General, National Museum Wales; Dr Judith Ingram, Head of Policy and Planning, National Museum Wales; Dr R. Brinley Jones CBE, President, National Library of Wales; Paul Loveluck CBE, JP, President, National Museum Wales. Committee Service: Julia Annand, Clerk; Vaughan Watkin, Deputy Clerk. Dechreuodd y cyfarfod am 9.01 a.m. The meeting began at 9.01 a.m. Cyflwyniad, Ymddiheuriadau, Dirprwyon a Datgan Buddiannau Introduction, Apologies, Substitutions and Declarations of Interest [1] Rosemary Butler: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the meeting of the Culture, Welsh Language and Sport Committee. I will just do the usual reminders. Members, I know that this is the culture committee, but we really do not want any musical accompaniment, so if you could please turn your mobile phones off, it would be helpful. Please turn them off altogether as they interfere with the broadcasting system. [2] I also remind Members to make any declarations of interest that have come up since the last meeting. You are well aware of the Presiding Officer’s rules and regulations and I am sure that you will stick by those. [3] I remind the committee that we have a private session at the end of this meeting to discuss our report on football. You will also remember, from Tuesday’s debate, that the Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill has been remitted by Plenary to this committee for consideration. I suggest that we look at that on 13 December; we will have to jiggle the agenda slightly, but we will look at that then. I also think that the Minister, in his next report, on 13 December, will include something on the smoking regulations and their impact on arts and sports venues. Is that right, Minister? [4] The Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport (Alun Pugh): Yes. [5] Rosemary Butler: While you are all delighted to have received a copy of the arts panel review yesterday, it is not on the agenda today. There is to be a full debate on it in Plenary next Wednesday and so I am sure that you will all enjoy yourselves then. We will be discussing it in committee on 25 January, so you can have two bites of the cherry. [6] I have possibly received an apology from Laura Anne. We are not sure whether she is coming or not, but if she does not come, we have received her apologies. Are there any other apologies? I see that there are not. 9.03 a.m. Cofnodion y Cyfarfod Diwethaf a Hynt y Camau i’w Cymryd Minutes of Last Meeting and Progress on Action Points [7] Rosemary Butler: Does everyone agree the short minutes of the last meeting? I see that you do. Are there are any matters that are not concluded in the action points that anyone would like to raise? We will go through the action points. Is there anything on pages 5, 6, or 7? [8] Eleanor Burnham: Could I just refer to the advert for the post of chair of the Arts Council of Wales? Has that advert been placed? [9] Rosemary Butler: Which page is that on? [10] Eleanor Burnham: It is on page 5. [11] Rosemary Butler: It says that the Minister is to advise on that. [12] Alun Pugh: It is in my report, Chair. You and Owen John Thomas are the two committee nominees for the appointments panel for this post, and it is my intention to start the process. You will recall that I gave an undertaking that we would wait for the Stephens report to be published before starting the formal process. That report is now in the public domain and so the process will continue. [13] Eleanor Burnham: Does that mean that it will be done before Christmas? [14] Rosemary Butler: It cannot be done before Christmas; however, I would have thought that it would be advertised before Christmas. [15] Eleanor Burnham: That is what I meant. [16] Alun Pugh: It depends on the publication schedule of various papers, but it is entirely possible. [17] Lisa Francis: In the action points from the meeting on 15 November, it says that the advert would be placed before Christmas. [18] Alun Pugh: If we can do so before Christmas, we will. [19] Rosemary Butler: I think that that is what the Minister is saying. He has written to Owen John and to me, saying that he is going to start the process. Obviously, he needs to catch the papers. Are you saying that some of the adverts may be placed before Christmas and some of them just after? [20] Alun Pugh: Yes. [21] Rosemary Butler: What about pages 8, 9, 10, 11? I assume that you have marked it, and that that is why I am flicking through these pages? What about pages 12, 13, 14, 15, 16? Did I go too quickly for anyone? Does someone want to raise any other points? I see that you do not. You can always raise them later if we have missed something. Cadarnhawyd cofnodion y cyfarfod blaenorol. The minutes of the previous meeting were ratified. 9.06 a.m. Adroddiad Blynyddol i’r Pwyllgor gan Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru Annual Report to Committee from National Museum Wales [22] Rosemary Butler: I welcome representatives of National Museum Wales. I cannot believe that a year has passed since you were last here—although some of you have been here since then. [23] We will look at progress during the last year and have an overview of future plans. I particularly welcome Paul Loveluck, who is the president. Paul, would you like to introduce your team? [24] Mr Loveluck: Certainly. You will know Mike Houlihan, the director general, and Robin Gwyn, our director of communications. You might not know Dr Judith Ingram, who works with Mike to help to co-ordinate policies and so on in the museum. [25] Rosemary Butler: Fine, thank you. I think that there is a slight technical hitch, so please excuse me if I have to turn my back to you. [26] Mr Loveluck: Before Mike starts on his presentation, I offer a word of thanks to all the political parties represented in the Assembly. As you know, the national museum is currently running an exhibition called, Discover the Muslim Heritage in our World. We came under attack from a particular political party for this, which accused us of disregarding our Welsh heritage, but that could not be further from the truth. Our mission, in shorthand terms, is to tell Wales about the world and to tell the world about Wales. We cannot discharge that remit, if we had the restrictive policy of the sort that that political party wanted. The museum appreciates the unanimous expression of support by the political parties, which came out very clearly; that was very well received. [27] Rosemary Butler: That was a good commercial for an excellent exhibition, so thank you for that. We hope that you will continue to hold similar exhibitions in the future. [28] Mr Houlihan: Last year, I took the opportunity of explaining some of the longer-term plans of the museum to the committee. This year, I would like to focus on next year and provide you with a centenary diary. We have listed here around 30 activities that we are undertaking next year, which just give you some flavour of the range and breadth of projects and work that we will be undertaking in our centenary year.

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