18 September 2015

Fourth Assembly Legacy: request for additional information following the evidence session on 16 September

Dear Minister

Thank you for attending the evidence session on 16 September 2015.

During the meeting, you agreed to provide the Committee with a copy of the recently agreed Memorandum of Understanding between the Welsh and UK Governments regarding the BBC Charter review. In addition, I would be grateful if you would set out why the MOU differs from the MOU for Scotland in terms of the BBC’s reporting and accountability duties after the Charter is renewed, and how this arrangement expedited an agreement that ensured equal input from the Welsh Government into the Charter review (as per your letter of 24 August 2015).

You also agreed to provide further information on the following—

§ Welsh Government work on best practice across Europe regarding alternative methods of levering in funding for the arts; related to this, you also said you would ask the Arts Council for Wales to provide a briefing paper for Members responding to this work;

§ details of the anticipated report by the Arts Council for Wales resulting from its current assessment of the impact of funding for, and performance of, Arts and Business Cymru;  

§ details of vacant/unoccupied listed chapels and churches, by grading; we would be grateful if you would include details of listed cemeteries/burial sites;

§ further information about the Barcelona example you cited in relation to arrangements for dealing with vacant listed buildings, including the availability of powers for the issuing of fines;

§ the roles and responsibilities of the Historic Environment Group, the Advisory Board for the Welsh Historic Environment, and the Wales Heritage Group.

In addition, there were a number of issues that we did not have the opportunity to explore with you during the session, and you agreed to respond in writing. On this basis, I would be grateful if you would provide details of—

§ the type of information that will be included in the Welsh Government’s annual report on the state of public libraries in Wales, and how this information will enable the measurement of the effectiveness of services provided by libraries;

§ what the Welsh Government is doing to develop a “Libraries Act for Wales”, and what this legislation could entail;

§ steps taken by the Welsh Government following the Committee’s inquiry to better promote the range of services provided by public libraries in Wales;

§ the extent to which the Welsh Government’s research and guidance on community-managed libraries has impacted on how such libraries operate in Wales;

§ the all-Wales library card announced in September 2015, including when this will be rolled out and how will it deliver “value for money and benefits to the Welsh economy”. 

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Christine Chapman AC / AM

Cadeirydd / Chair