Plaid Cymru’s new peer Dafydd Wigley has taken steps to protect S4C by calling for any changes made to the channel to be subject to the agreement of Ministers in the Welsh Government – and not just the UK Government. Essentially this would mean that Welsh Ministers would have a veto over S4C changes.
Lord Wigley has tabled an amendment to the Public Bodies Bill which is currently passing through the Upper Chamber.
This is the first opportunity that Lord Wigley has had to propose formal changes to legislation affecting Wales since he was appointed to the Second Chamber three weeks ago. Lord Wigley is a former member of the S4C authority and chaired the Channel’s Audit Committee during that time.
Lord Wigley said: “If this amendment is passed, it will mean that the Bill will require the agreement of Assembly Ministers before action could be taken relating to S4C.
“As things stand, Westminster Ministers could apply the provisions of the Bill to S4C without any agreement from Wales.
“The lack of safeguards is worrying which is why I shall also be supporting the amendment tabled by Lord Roger Roberts to exclude S4C from the Bill entirely.
“However, if that fails then I hope that my amendment offers another way of safeguarding the Channel from encroachments by London-based Ministers who know little about Wales, its language or its culture – and care even less about the impact in terms of jobs lost which could follow by undermining the Channel in this way and because of this Bill.”
