Alun Davies AC/AM Gweinidog y Gymraeg a Dysgu Gydol Oes Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language

Lord Tony Hall Director-General British Broadcasting Corporation Television Centre Wood Lane London W12 7RJ [email protected]

Dear Tony Hall 14 October 2016

I am writing following yesterday’s announcement in relation to significant restructuring within BBC Studios.

I am extremely concerned to hear of this announcement and its implications for the BBC in , especially the loss of 27 jobs. I fully support BECTU as it seeks assurances from the BBC that the redundancies will be achieved through voluntary means. We also now need a clear assurance from you about the future of factual and drama production in Wales.

Throughout the BBC Charter Review process, the Welsh Government has expressed concern about the BBC Studios proposal. We are not persuaded that a significant scaling back of BBC in-house production - which may well be the outcome of an entirely market driven approach to commissioning within the BBC - would be beneficial overall. We are concerned about the potential impact that any such scaling back might have on the BBC’s production hubs in the nations and regions, such as studios in Cardiff Bay, especially as Ofcom has yet to give a view on whether the quotas for production in the nations and regions will change when it sets the BBC’s operating licences in due course. This announcement shows that we are right to be concerned. As the quotas for independent production are also unchanged, there is no guarantee either that any reduction in BBC production in Wales will be offset by more successful commissions from our independent production sector.

In our response to the consultation on the BBC Charter Review last year, we welcomed the intention to strengthen network production in Wales and the other nations within the UK. This will bring creative as well as economic benefits for the BBC as a whole. We welcomed the BBC’s commitment to meeting the target of 17% for television programmes for the nations earlier than 2016. Our expectation is that, at the very least, 5% of network production should originate in Wales, from a mix of in-house and independent productions – and this should represent a floor rather than a ceiling for Welsh creativity.

Bae Caerdydd • Cardiff Bay English Enquiry Line 0300 0603300 Caerdydd • Cardiff Llinell Ymholiadau Cymraeg 0300 0604400 CF99 1NA [email protected] • [email protected]

The Welsh Government remains committed to working in partnership with the BBC as it continues to build on its successes in Wales, to maximise the economic and cultural opportunities that will arise from the further development of drama and network production business in Wales. We support the intention to have a drama commissioning editor responsible for each nation and we fully expect this to happen in Wales, considering Cardiff’s development as a BBC drama hub.

In your letter to the First Minister on 12 May you recognised that the portrayal and representation of Wales and the other devolved nations must improve. You also made a number of important public pledges to Wales, including additional funding for improving services and for more dedicated content. We worked hard during the Charter review process to ensure that the BBC’s mission, public purposes and creative remit were significantly strengthened in the new Charter. I am satisfied that they now clearly and effectively mandate the BBC to deliver much more for Wales; I therefore look forward to the commitments outlined in your letter being delivered upon in full.

We note the significant savings targets recently announced by BBC Cymru Wales. The new money promised for Wales must be genuinely additional. I do not expect the BBC board to simply return some or all of these local savings to Wales.

I look forward to discussing a number of these issues in further detail during our telephone conversation next week.

I am sending a copy of this letter to all Members of the National Assembly for Wales; Karen Bradley MP, Secretary of State for Media, Culture and Sport; Alun Cairns MP, the Secretary of State for Wales; Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Scottish Government; Paul Givan MLA, Minister for Communities, Northern Ireland Executive; Rona Fairhead, Chair of the BBC Trust; Elan Clos Stephens, BBC Trustee for Wales; Mark Linsey, Director of BBC Studios; and Rhodri Talfan Davies, Director BBC Cymru Wales.

Yours sincerely

Alun Davies AC/AM Gweinidog y Gymraeg a Dysgu Gydol Oes Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language