Will or has the Minister made any kind of representations, initiated a probe or investigation, or asked questions regarding the settlement provided to the former Director of National Museum Wales, and if so what were the conclusions of the findings?
I was aware of the situation when the settlement was agreed. I am mindful that there are legal agreements in place regarding these staff related matters which impacts what can publicly be shared. However, following advice from an employment law specialist, we were satisfied at the time that the settlement provided the best course of action to limit costs and to resolve the matter as efficiently as possible at a time that Amgueddfa Cymru itself has acknowledged as an extremely challenging period for the museum.
Lessons have been learnt from this experience. As part of a wider programme of work, we commissioned an independent Tailored Review of Amgueddfa Cymru. The Tailored Review Panel was asked to prioritise recommendations relating to the governance of Amgueddfa Cymru, with an interim report shared with Welsh Government officials and the Museum in December 2022. This interim report was integrated into the final report published on 13 July. Work is already underway in responding to the recommendations, which provide a blueprint for Amgueddfa Cymru’s future. Amgueddfa Cymru has set up a task and finish group and my officials are included in its membership. I look forward to providing an update on the progress made later this year.
Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and attendance at engagements are published on the Welsh Government website: www.gov.wales/ministerial-meetings-and-engagements. As part of our sponsorship arrangements, I meet Amgueddfa Cymru twice a year to discuss its progress as well as current and future activities. The former Director General attended these meetings on 14 February 2022 and 12 July 2022. I also met with him on 11 May 2022 alongside the Chair of the Arts & Humanities Research Council. His settlement or his arrangements for stepping down from his role were not discussed.
I have not had any direct conversations with the Auditor General for Wales regarding this matter. Officials continue to work with Audit Wales and it would not be appropriate for me to have conversations with the Auditor General while these processes are underway.