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Letter to the Daily Post: Music Funding
July 27, 2006 11:58 AM
Sir,
Yesterday Ian Lucas MP criticised Wrexham Council for cutting music funding in schools. Mr Lucas would do well to check the facts before making ill informed remarks.
In 2004 his Labour colleagues in the Assembly cut Wales' Music Development Fund by 40%, they then scrapped it in 2005. Ministers were warned by the Arts Council for Wales that cutting music funding would hit the poorest the hardest; they cut it anyway. Last March Estyn published a report on the Music Development Fund which stated that since Ministers scrapped the funding, music services have been cut in almost every local authority. Wrexham is one of only three that has not cut its core music provision. At the same time 33 of Wales's top artists wrote to Rhodri Morgan asking for a meeting to discuss crisis in youth music affecting Wales. Rhodri Morgan declined their offer.
I and my Welsh Liberal Democrat colleagues have been campaigning for months to restore the fund.
We tabled a motion calling for the Music Development Fund to be restored. The Labour Government has repeatedly refused to debate it.
We appealed to Rhodri Morgan to meet with the 33 artists to discuss the matter; he declined a second time.
It was Mr Lucas' Labour colleagues who decided to cut music funding to local authorities. His Labour Assembly Government has refused to listen or meet with anyone to discuss this issue.
If Mr Lucas wants to do something constructive about music for young people he could start by asking Rhodri Morgan why his Labour Government is committing cultural vandalism?
Yours truly,
Eleanor Burnham AM
Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Culture
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