§ 9. Mr. HainTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he next intends to meet the Arts Council for Wales to discuss funding.
§ Mr. BrookeI have no current plans to do so.
§ Mr. HainWhen the Secretary of State meets the Arts Council for Wales, will he use his good offices to press for additional funding for the Pontardawe international music festival? That unique and excellent local event attracts 20,000 spectators and participants to its annual August festival. Although it has received some additional grant aid in the past few years, it is run by an enthusiastic bunch of volunteers who need permanent funding to assist them of the kind that goes towards specialist but narrowly based forms of music. Will the Secretary of State press for that funding on a permanent basis? I invite him to attend the festival over the weekend of 20 to 22 August, if he is in that part of the world.
§ Mr. BrookeI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me advance warning that he intended to raise the subject of the Pontardawe music festival. I gather that, last year, West Wales Arts began to give a development grant to the festival of £5,000 for each of three financial years. That grant attracted funds from other sources for the 1992 festival. I hope that the organisers achieve the same this year. As to the future, the hon. Gentleman will know that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales will take responsibility for the Arts Council for Wales on I April next year. For future years, perhaps the hon. Gentleman's request should be more locally delivered.