Response To Richards Commission : The Powers Of The National Assembly For Wales.
FROM Lydia Bassett, Wales Coordinator, Voluntary Arts Wales
In what practical ways do the powers of the Assembly, and the limits of its power, impinge on your organisation or the people whom you serve and what are the best examples of this from your point of view?
Voluntary Arts Wales is an arts organisation – promoting and supporting participatory arts in Wales and providing free mentoring, training and advocacy for more than 1400 voluntary and community arts groups.
Culture as an issue is devolved to the Welsh Assembly. One of the first acts undertaken by the Assembly was a review of Culture in Wales – leading to the production of the "A Culture in Common" report. This was felt to be the first serious and wide ranging review of Wales’ many and varied cultures and felt like a breath of fresh air having worked with the somewhat tense relationship between the Arts Council of Wales and the DCMS in Westminster.
Cultural policy must, and should be set in Wales and the advent of a Culture Committee has been universally approved of by the sector. The current minister has also undertaken several reviews of the Arts Council in Wales and the subsequent restructurings are still settling down. The recent addition of a Culture Fund managed personally by the Minister has caused some concerns about accountability and these will be brought up by the sector over the coming months.
My own work, acting as an advocate for the voluntary and community arts, has both increased in quantity and in impact since the advent of the Assembly. The Assembly as a structure has felt very consultative in its policy development – both directly and via ACW - and this has led to a strengthening of infrastructure bodies in the voluntary sector in order to ensure quick responses to policy consultations. It has also stretched the resources of organisations such as ours in trying to ensures all arts groups can feed in to responses where possible.
I am also a member of the Voluntary Sector Partnership Council at the assembly. This has improved the relationship of the voluntary sector with the Assembly through its formal meetings but also through informal contact. In my own case it has also strengthened partnerships both with other voluntary sector networks and with Assembly Members whose remit does not directly include culture.
The best examples of the changes the Assembly has brought are:-
The consultative process which led to the Culture in Common report
The promised changes in Child Protection registration brought about through pressure from the Voluntary Sector Partnership Council.
In general a far more open, responsive and consultative process of Government which Welsh organisations can feel more ownership of. The caveat to this being that in some case skill levels, particularly among civil servants, did not rise in tandem with responsibilities and this has been a steep learning curve for some staff and AMs – and for the voluntary sector in its relationship to the Assembly.
Does the Government of Wales Act provide the Assembly the powers it needs to meet the expectations of the people of Wales? Should powers be extended and how?
In direct relation to my own work the Assembly’s power over culture is pretty wide ranging – except in areas of legislation such as the Licensing Bill which is discussed later.
On a wider basis any extension of power would need the ability to raise taxes and having seen the development of the Scottish parliament and the changes tax raising ability has allowed eg. In relation to student fees and care for the elderly I would support tax raising power for the Assembly.
Role of the UK Government
For some time it appeared the UK Government’s power over the cultural policies of Wales was minimal.
However, there are two areas in which it has recently cause great concern. These are:-
Lottery distribution
In relation to the Lottery distribution I would agree wholeheartedly with the request from the Assembly that policy in relation to Lottery Distribution should be made in Wales and the Assembly should be responsible. Lottery policy must relate to wider Assembly policies for the voluntary sector and to developments such as European programmes and Communities First.
The Licensing Bill
This seems a particularly odd anomaly under the current system in that it is Westminster legislation which will have a profound effect on culture, a devolved issue, but on which the Assembly was not consulted. The legislation will not apply to Scotland but would drastically affect Wales. I would argue that no such legislation should be passed based on a DCMS bill without the approval of the Culture Committee in Wales.
Lydia Bassett
Voluntary Arts Wales
02920 562656
Lydia@vaw.org.uk