Pwyllgor Diwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chyfathrebu
Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee
CWLC(5)-05-16 PTN4

Bethan Jenkins AM
Chair Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee

30 September 2016

Dear Ms Jenkins,

The Museums Association is writing to request that the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee urgently scrutinises the Welsh Government’s plans to take forward the recommendations of the Randerson Report by PwC – Investing in the Future to Protect the Past.

The Museum Association is extremely concerned about the Government's announcement this week that it would create a new body Historic Wales, thus merging the commercial functions, in the first instance, for the following reasons:

· There has been no public or sector consultation;

· The plans are tantamount to a merger of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales with other heritage bodies and therefore pose a significant threat to the future of the institution as an arms-length public body;

· The move will severely undermine the independence and financial sustainability of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales;

· The move will undermine Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales’ ability to carry out its core functions as a national museum for Wales.

This is an unprecedented move and the Report’s suggestion that its recommendations are based on best practice in Scotland and England is highly misleading. No other government in the UK has sought to directly control its national museums in this way, nor to incorporate museums’ activities into a generic heritage organisation.

The Museums Association requests that Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee urgently scrutinises the Government’s plans at its meeting next week and is happy to give any evidence or support that is required.

Yours sincerely

Sharon Heal

Director, Museums Association

About the Museums Association

The MA is the largest UK membership organisation representing museums and galleries and the people who work for them. It has over 6,800 individual members and 600 institutional members, including national, local authority, independent, university and military museums. It was formed in 1889 and is a not-for-profit charity that seeks to inform, represent and develop museums and the people who work for them in order that they may provide a better service to society and the public.