Opposition parties unite to force Welsh Assembly to re-think ACW overhaul.
The Welsh Assembly Governments (WAG) plan to strip the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) of some of its key funding responsibilities has been put on hold as opposition parties joined forces to inflict an embarrassing defeat on the Labour-led administration. An emergency debate on arts funding in Wales was called in response to WAGs decision not to renew the term of office of Geraint Talfan Davies, Chair of ACW. Debate focused on WAGs longstanding plans to remove funding responsibility for six of the countrys major arts organisations from ACW. A motion was introduced which forced WAG to order a comprehensive consultation with the arts community and a funding review which will effectively delay the introduction of the plans.
ACW welcomed the motion and called for the funding review to be open, thorough and transparent, as well as engaging with independent opinion. In a statement, ACW said, We hope that both the process and its outcome will establish well-founded and lasting arrangements for the governance of the arts in Wales that reconcile the needs of democratic accountability and the value of the arms-length principle in a way that will have the support of the arts sector and a wider public.
After the debate, Culture Minister Alun Pugh, whose efforts to introduce the funding reforms have been widely criticised in recent weeks, said, As a minority government, we accept we will lose votes from time to time. We will of course be respecting the view of the full Assembly. What this Government is about is progressive policies and the need to ensure that the tens of millions of pounds of public money we are investing in the arts touches all communities in Wales. WAG appears to have been caught off-guard by the strength of opposition to the funding reforms, both from politicians and the arts community. Arts organisations, including some of the six due to be taken under Assembly control, have been briefing against the plans, and leaks to the media have challenged the Ministers figures suggesting that ACW money was not being evenly distributed across the country.
Opposition parties were quick to celebrate the result of the vote. Welsh Conservative culture spokeswoman, Lisa Francis, said, We have always believed that funding for the arts is something that should be at arms-length from any government of whatever political complexion. Everybody concerned with the arts in Wales now has the opportunity to reflect on what we believe is a very dangerous approach to arts funding. Plaid Cymrus Shadow Culture Minister, Owen John Thomas, said, We will now seek to ensure that an appropriate and full consultation takes place on the future of the arts in Wales. In the meantime, there should be no further moves by the Assembly Government to absorb the functions of the Arts Council of Wales. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader, Mike German, compared the beleaguered Minister to popular childrens TV presenters, The Chuckle Brothers: The Chuckle Brothers popularised the To me, To you concept in their work. Now you seem to be adopting it in your interaction with the Arts Council. We need to look again at your proposals, understand the problem you are seeking to solve and build a consensus about how best to develop the arts in Wales for all the people of Wales.
Details of the public review are due to be announced over the next few weeks.