MP says “no time to lose” to get culture cash to “front line” – First Minister waits to check ‘small print’ tomorrow

Wrexham’s MP has welcomed a support package billed as “the biggest ever one-off investment in UK culture”.

The UK Government has announced a support package aimed at cultural, arts and heritage institutions. The UK Government say the new funding will mean an additional £59 million for the Welsh Government as part of the overall £1.15 billion support package across the UK made up of £270 million of repayable finance and £880 million grants.

There is a further £100 million of targeted support for the national cultural institutions in England and the English Heritage Trust. UK Government say the funding will also mean an extra £188 million for the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland (£33 million), Scotland (£97 million) and Wales (£59 million).

Last night Wrexham’s MP, Sarah Atherton welcomed the announcement, saying “Today’s announcement is fantastic news for the whole of the UK and will provide a vital lifeline to cultural and arts institutions

“The Welsh Government has previously said that it doesn’t have the firepower to support the arts in Wales, so the UK Government is providing £59 million so that they can do just that.

“Many arts, culture and heritage organisations across the UK are facing hardship as a result of the coronavirus outbreak and those in Wales are no exception.

“We have no time to lose in getting this money to the front line and I along with my colleagues in Westminster will be pushing the Welsh Government to ensure that happens.

“If the money gets to the front line it will not only secure jobs, but mean iconic venues can weather the storm created by coronavirus and come back stronger, and continue to be there for local residents and future generations to enjoy.”

Yesterday the First Minster Mark Drakeford cautiously welcomed the announcement, saying: “I want to begin by saying how much we recognise the impact that coronavirus has had on the arts and culture sector here in Wales, and how closely we continue to work with them. We were able to provide £7 million pounds more to the Arts Council for Wales early in the pandemic to allow it to go on supporting people who work in that sector here in Wales.

“But what we will have to do is to wait until Wednesday to see what other announcements the Chancellor of the Exchequer will make, and then the cabinet will make a decision based on that picture in the round. When you get money from the UK Government, sometimes there are things that don’t come your way. The Prime Minister made a speech last week in which he celebrated a new deal. The ‘New Deal’ turned out to be no deal as far as Wales is concerned because not a single penny came our way as a result of that, and other decisions are made to take money away from Wales as well as giving money to us. So I want to wait until we see the whole package and then the cabinet will sit down knowing how much money we have at our disposal and attend to the many demands, that there are for help here in Wales, including help that is needed by the arts sector.”

The First Minister was asked what sum he was expecting, £88m or £59m, and he said: “I don’t have the exact figures but when the UK Government announces a headline figure, what they very often don’t tell us is what is new money, and what is money that they are simply recycling from existing budgets. So you will remember there was an announcement about a week ago of money for tutoring in the education service. It turned out when we looked at it, that most of that money wasn’t new at all. It was just money that they were re-announcing from their own budgets, and therefore there was no consequential.

“It’s why I’m reluctant to commit to saying anything on the £59 million, because so easily on Wednesday, we could learn that we are losing money from other changes made at Whitehall and they won’t be £59 million pounds, after all. So the small print is important in all of this. The art sector is very important to us in Wales, and we will want to do what we can to support them. But I want to have a whole picture in front of the Welsh cabinet before we make any specific decisions.”

Yesterday Prime Minister Johnson said of the overall support package: “From iconic theatre and musicals, mesmerising exhibitions at our world-class galleries to gigs performed in local basement venues, the UK’s cultural industry is the beating heart of this country.

“This money will help safeguard the sector for future generations, ensuring arts groups and venues across the UK can stay afloat and support their staff whilst their doors remain closed
and curtains remain down”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden added: “Our arts and culture are the soul of our nation. They make our country great and are the
lynchpin of our world-beating and fast growing creative industries.

“I understand the grave challenges the arts face and we must protect and preserve all we can for future generations. Today we are announcing a huge support package of immediate funding to tackle the funding crisis they face. I said we would not let the arts down, and this massive investment shows our level of commitment.”