National Assembly for Wales

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Believes that:

a) the national collections of Wales, which are under the care of the National Library of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru, belong to everyone in Wales;

b) the collections need to be protected for future generations, while also continuing to be used to inspire and motivate people of all ages; and

c) free access to our national museums has been an undoubted success since the introduction of the policy in 2001, and that this policy is one that should be protected.

2. Notes:

a) warnings from the institutions that revenue and capital fiscal cuts endanger the national collections, due to unsuitable spaces and stores and also a reduction in the number of specialist staff who are now employed to care for them;

b) the concerns that further cuts will worsen the situation; and

c) Welsh Government responsibilities under the Government of Wales Act 2006 for our national collections.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) commission a panel of experts to establish what the danger is to the collections, and work with the institutions and the Welsh Government to implement a plan to protect them;

b) work with the National Library of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru, and the unions that represent the staff in these institutions, to ensure their viability for the future; and

c) work with Amgueddfa Cymru to retain the free entry policy to our national museums.