'Pride in Wales': Speech on the Party Motion for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport

Speech delivered to Welsh Liberal Democrat Spring Conference Saturday 10th March on Sat 10th Mar 2007

Hello Conference.

I'm very pleased to be proposing this motion 'Pride in Wales', which encompasses our ideas for the future of my present portfolio - Culture, Welsh Language and Sport.

I believe that these issues often tend to be considered last when it comes to government and politics.

When there are desperate funding shortfalls and strategic failures in health, education and the environment around us, who has time or commitment to think about how we celebrate, promote and protect our culture, our sporting achievements and our language?

But I believe that these things are crucial to our sense of who we are.

• Cultural factors define our national identity:

• Welsh sporting achievements allow us to punch above our weight and geographical size on the world stage.

• And similarly, Wales' bilingual status is something that sets us apart, and we can be proud of our vision for a secure future for our Welsh language.

This motion proposes policies that place the importance of cultural, sporting and language issues right in the heart of our communities.

In restoring local pride and getting people involved in these areas, I believe we can gain more national and international success and recognition.

Three of the principle polices in this motion revolve around Welsh communities:

• Giving communities access to sporting and cultural facilities - Beyond winning a Grand Slam, qualifying for a major football tournament or winning Olympic Gold medals, the true measure of our future sporting success must be how we get everyone involved in sport, from the cradle to the grave - via the local leisure centre and community facilities.

Investing in these facilities, in our coaches and our potential not only creates a healthier and fitter nation, but generates our heroes and ambassadors of tomorrow.

• Supporting and celebrating our culture and our past, museums and galleries can provide educational, tourism and cultural opportunities for the future.

They're an invaluable resource for reflecting our identity and history as a nation, but also as tools for enhancing our society's collective knowledge.

They're both a shop-window for Wales to the world, and for the world into Wales.

• Promoting community media

Mass Media has made the world smaller and allowed smaller countries to make an indelible mark on the world.

New developments such as digital switchover, internet broadcasting and community-based media offer a golden opportunity for individuals, communities and the nation as a whole, to exploit our talents and create social, cultural and economic prosperity.

This motion also sets out a vision of a Wales in which everyone can go to their local school, playing field, or community hall and play football, hockey, netball, basketball, rugby to mention a few sports, as well as encouraging and supporting our national and international teams.

• Invest in Welsh Sport

Proper investment and support for Welsh sport both at a grassroots and professional level will engage and encourage people across Wales, at local and international levels, to take pride in our achievements and get involved in sport.

A secure and successful future for our Arts is another important focus of this motion, and principally that means:

• Keeping the arts independent

We in the Assembly have seen the folly of Labour attempting to politicise the arts and this policy means keeping the arts at an arms length from politics.

We can support and nurture our arts without dictating how things should be done with a heavy hand. We have key people in our national arts organisations who like us, values Wales' culture and its artists.

We will review the facilities for, and production capacity in the arts, and improve the co-ordination between local and national government and the ASPBs.

We will reaffirm the independence of the Arts Council, and make clear the division of decision-making between ministers and independent peer groups.

A beth am ein Iaith? Our language, one of the oldest in Europe? This motion looks to secure a future for Welsh on an equal basis with English.

• Cyflwyno hawl I ddefnyddio'r Iaith Gymraeg

Mae hi'n hen bryd symud ymlaen o ran hawliau a chyfrifoldebau defnyddio iaith.

Rydym eisiau defnyddio p?erau newydd y Cynulliad i sefydlu hawliau penodol ynglyn ar iaith Gymraeg.

Bydd sefydlu hawliau statudol yn dangos i unigolion yr hyn y gallant ei ddisgwyl mewn perthynas â'r gwasanaeth trwy'r Gymraeg ac yn hyrwyddo defynnydd ymarferol o'r iaith.

Wedi'r mesur newydd ei gyflwyno, dylai Brwdd yr Iaith Gymraeg annibynnol gael pwerau cyffelyb i b?erau Comisiynydd i ymchwilio i gwynion a cadw golwg manwl a ddatblygiad yr iaith.

Dylid annog busnesau a sefydliadau i hybu cyfleoedd i'r Gymraeg.

Ein nod ydi rhoi'r hawl i bawb sy'n defnyddio gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yr hawl i wneud hynny drwy'r iaith Gymraeg, os dynau'u dymuniad.

Yr ydym hefyd eisiau hyrwyddo'r defnydd o'r iaith gan ac o fewn cwmniau a sefydliadiadau eraill.

So conference, I urge you to support this far-reaching motion and place our heritage and the future of our culture, our language and our sport in their rightful place - centre stage in 2007.