APPENDIX
THE RESPONSE OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WALES TO THE FIRST REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE (SESSION 2000-01),
ON WALES IN THE WORLD: THE ROLE OF THE UK GOVERNMENT IN
PROMOTING WALES ABROAD
(HC 38)
Paragraph 9
It is clear that Wales does not generally enjoy
a high profile overseas and it appears that the reasons for this
are multiple and complex. It may be inevitable that a small country
such as Wales is less prominent internationally than its larger
neighbours, but it is nonetheless a source of concern if it means
that Wales is losing out on the cultural and economic benefits
which widespread international recognition brings.
The Government of the National Assembly for Wales
agrees that Wales does not enjoy a high profile overseas. We also
agree that greater international recognition can yield significant
cultural and economic benefits. We are taking steps to address
this.
The Cabinet has established a SubCommittee
on Wales in the World. At official level, there are arrangements
in place to coordionate the interests and activities of
the Assembly and the ASPBs.
As a result of these arrangements, and other efforts,
Wales has been successful in attracting events (the Rugby World
Cup, FA Cup final and Ryder Cup), receiving high profile visits
(the Taoiseach - Bertie Ahern TD - President Pujol of Catalonia,
VicePremier of China and the Premier of New South Wales)
and undertaken a number of overseas events (eg California). In
all of this, the Government of the National Assembly works with
the UK Government, principally through the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (FCO).
Wales already has a number of international links,
and the Assembly will work to develop these further and to consider
developing other links.
A major initiative has been the development of the
Wales World Nation communications package and promotional material.
Paragraph 15
We are pleased that WalesTrade International and
Trade Partners UK are working well together.
The relationship between WalesTrade International
(WTI) and Trade Partners UK continues to grow and strengthen,
with regular meetings and exchanges taking place between the two
organisations. The Assembly's Senior Director of Economic Affairs,
Transport, Planning & Environment is a member of the British
Trade International main board. As well as providing the National
Assembly for Wales and WalesTrade International with a strong
platform for involvement in the development of UK international
trade services, it also acts as a public acknowledgement of the
partnership between the two organisations. WalesTrade International
is also represented, at Chief Executive level, on Trade Partner
UK's Government Group.
The close relationship benefits both organisations
and the Assembly is keen to maintain these links and develop them
further. The Government of the National Assembly recognises the
importance of international trade to the Welsh economy and in
recognition of this WalesTrade International is drawing up an
International Trade Strategy, on which British Trade International
has been widely consulted.
Paragraph 17
For small businesses, there is a limit to the
amount of time and money they can invest in a project before receiving
funding and we are concerned that delays in the distribution of
Objective 1 funds may lead to some projects led by small and mediumsized
enterprises being lost entirely. Objective 1 funds in Wales are
distributed by the Wales European Funding Office (WEFO), an executive
agency of the National Assembly for Wales. We invite the Assembly
to examine the resources available to WEFO for administering the
Objective 1 budget.
The Government of the Assembly will ensure that WEFO
is given adequate resources to carry out its functions. WEFO has
established a Private Sector Unit to assist the private sector
(including small and medium sized enterprises as appropriate)
to access Objective 1 funds. The Unit provides handson assistance
to companies throughout the project development and application
process.
Paragraph 20
British Trade International is still a young organisation
but there is encouraging evidence that since its creation relations
between the WDA and IUK have been better than those with
IUK's predecessor, the Invest in Britain Bureau. We accept
that InvestUK's role is to maximise the total amount of
investment in the UK and this emphasises the importance of promoting
Wales abroad, alongside the UK as a whole. This is largely a matter
for the National Assembly for Wales and its sponsored public bodies.
The Welsh Development Agency has specific responsibility
of promoting Wales as a viable business location to prospective
inward investors. The Agency works very closely with Invest.UK
and is a member of the Committee on Overseas Promotion. The Agency
takes forward, and develops further, initial expressions of interest
identified by Invest.UK with the aim of securing overseas investment
in Wales.
The need to promote Wales overseas in a consistent
way has long been recognised by WalesTrade International and,
to that end, a formal working protocol now exists between WTI
and the WDA's International Division. This allows both organisations
to maximise the opportunities afforded by their respective overseas
networks, allows for collaboration in marketing Wales as an international
location in which and with which to do business and ensures that
all potential projects are signposted to the relevant body.
Paragraph 27
We believe that Wales's poor share of the overseas
tourist market is largely due to the country's poor recognition
overseas.
The Government of the National Assembly for Wales
recognises that Wales' relatively poor recognition overseas has
a significant impact on our share of the overseas tourist market.
The Wales World Nation initiative, overseas promotional events
and the marketing efforts of the Wales Tourist Board (WTB) are
all helping to raise recognition levels. In addition to this,
events, such as the Network Q Rally, the Ryder Cup and the next
few FA Cup finals will continue to provide opportunities to raise
recognition levels, building on the success of the Rugby World
Cup. It should of course be acknowledged that the Foot and Mouth
outbreak in February this year has had a significant impact on
tourism in Wales which was compounded by misinformation and lack
of understanding within many of Wales key overseas markets. The
WTB and BTA launched specific marketing and promotional campaigns
to counteract these misconceptions. The recent atrocities in America
will also have a significant impact on international travel and
again the WTB are looking to review their marketing plans to take
account of the situation.
Paragraph 31
The budget for the Wales Tourist Board is a matter
for the National Assembly for Wales. We record the concern that
was expressed to us, that the resources available to the WTB to
spend on overseas marketing may not be commensurate with those
available to other tourist boards in the UK.
The Assembly approved a record increase in the WTB's
budget for 20012002 up 30% to £20.086 million.
This included funds specifically to develop an IT Destination
Management System to enable people to access information on Wales
and book accommodation. The Assembly has now increased the WTB's
budget by a further £2.2 million for 20022003. In addition
to this, the WTB has had two Objective 1 projects approved for
marketing (£9 million) and capital development (£5.3
million) which, along with Assembly match funding, will provide
the WTB with around £29 million extra over the next three
years.
It is not really possible to make meaningful comparisons
on spending between the UK national tourist boards. The English
Tourism Council does not have marketing powers, the British Tourist
Authority does this as part of its overall work in marketing Britain
overseas, whilst the Scottish Tourist Board (now called visitscotland)
allocates funds to its 14 Area Tourist Boards. However, the WTB,
as with other national tourist boards, is currently reviewing
its marketing expenditure plans to help the tourism industry recover
from the effects of Foot and Mouth and the more recent terrorism
activities in the USA. The USA is Wales' largest single tourism
market.
Paragraph 32
We welcome the proposal to establish four Regional
Tourism Partnerships, and in particular the fact that the devolution
of responsibilities will be accompanied by a devolution of funding.
However, we are concerned that the move from central to regional
tourism promotion for Wales will make it more difficult to promote
strong "brands" in the international market, and that
there is a danger that an element of competition will creep into
the relationships between the RTPs. These are factors which will
need to be monitored closely from the centre, by the WTB and the
National Assembly.
The Government of the National Assembly recognises
the importance of strong branding for the international market.
The Regional Tourism Partnerships will be tasked with operating
within a national framework set by the Wales Tourist Board. That
framework will clearly say that the Wales Tourist Board should
lead on international marketing. However, partnerships will be
encouraged to market alongside the Wales Tourist Board where appropriate.
In certain more mature markets and those closest
to Wales in terms of proximity such as Ireland, there may be a
case for Regional Tourism Partnerships taking up more of the mantle.
In general terms however, the Regional Tourism Partnerships will
be to concentrate its efforts within the UK market.
Paragraph 35
We recommend that the BTA and the WTB should develop
a strategy for promoting Wales as a firstchoice destination
for foreign visitors to the UK. This should involve working with
tour operators which bring foreign tourists into the country to
try to persuade them to include Wales on more of their itineraries,
and working with UK transport providers (such as the train operating
companies) to promote the provision of efficient, affordable transport
links between Wales and other UK tourist destinations.
The overall strategy is to ensure that Wales is regarded
as a "must see" destination within Britain. This recognises
the fact that many of the people who will come to Wales will visit
Wales as a part of an overall visit to Britain. Wales needs to
ensure that when people are considering Britain, they regard us
as one of the key destination honey pots within Britain. The Wales
Tourist Board will also be raising the profile of Wales, separately,
as there will be occasions when the primary reason for a visit
to Britain is a visit to Wales.
The WTB is working with a large range of tour operators
to improve their product provision in Wales and current internal
restructuring proposals include the setting up of a new Business
Development Department whose role will specifically be to liaise
with the world's travel trade. The WTB recognises that the lack
of international gateways in Wales is a strategic weakness and
believe that there is a need to identify suitable transportation
partners.
As previously mentioned, all the BTA's and WTB's
marketing plans are being reviewed in response to the recent terrorist
activities in the USA.
Paragraph 41
We welcome the creation by the Assembly of Cymru'n
Creu, which aims to meet the kind of concerns about poor coordination
expressed by many of our witnesses. It will be important for UK
Government departments, and bodies such as UK Sport, the BTA and
the British Council, to forge strong links with the consortium,
as well as directly with their Welsh counterparts.
The National Assembly welcomes this recognition of
the initiative of Cymru'n Creu. The British Council is now represented
on the consortium, which looks forward to strengthening further
its links with UK Government Departments, and bodies. The consortium
would welcome proposals from UK bodies for presentations to future
meetings.
Paragraph 42
The membership of, and involvement in, Cymru'n
Creu is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales. It is important
as a matter of principle that key players are not excluded from
initiatives such as the Cultural Consortium because they do not
fit some predetermined set of criteria for participation.
Cymru'n Creu consists of the key ASPBs, the Broadcasters,
the WLGA and the British Council. We agree, however, that it is
important that key players other than these are not excluded.
The work of Cymru'n Creu at a practical level is being taken forward
by specific task and finish groups - the Arts Council of Wales
and WDA working on European funding, for instance, and the National
Library leading a project on ICT. Other strand groups are being
developed. It is vital that these groups involve the other players
as they take their work forward to ensure that all the key bodies
are included and are able to contribute. When the task groups
present to Cymru'n Creu they will need to demonstrate full consultation
and participation.
Paragraph 50
One of the objectives of the Welsh Language Board
is to raise awareness of the Welsh language outside Wales and
to foster and promote the exchange of information and experience
in the areas of language and culture between Wales and similar
linguistic communities abroad. We believe that this is an important
objective.
The Government of the Assembly agrees that this is
an important objective. The Assembly is supporting the Board in
developing its contacts with Catalonia, the Basque Country and
other language communities. The agreement signed by the First
Minister and the President of Catalunya in April foresees further
cooperation in the area of language policy. The Assembly also
funds a Welsh language project in the Chubut province of Argentina.
This is managed, on behalf of the Assembly, by the British Council.
Paragraph 59
Promoting Wales within the UK is an essential
prerequisite to promoting Wales in the rest of the world. We must
overcome ignorant and inaccurate stereotypes in Wales and the
UK. The Assembly and the Wales Office both have a key role to
play, but so do other Government departments and public bodies
such as the DTI, the DfEE, the Office for National Statistics
and the BBC.
The Government of the National Assembly works in
tandem with the Wales Office to promote Wales within the UK, and
sees this as essential in overcoming stereotypical views. This
has been a major objective behind the Wales World Nation initiative
and overseas promotional events. The Government of the National
Assembly is looking to develop this initiative further.
Paragraph 60
There are clear advantages to Wales from being
included under the auspices of the international work of the UK
Government. Equally, there are clear advantages of the Assembly
and its sponsored public bodies carrying out independent promotional
work. How effectively Wales is promoted abroad will depend largely
on the strength of the working links between the Welsh and UK
bodies, and maintaining and strengthening those relationships
should be the top priority for all those concerned, though it
should not be done in such a way as to restrict the Assembly's
ability to pursue different policies and strategies from the Government.
The National Assembly for Wales is committed to maintaining
good working relationship with the UK Government and UK bodies.
In implementing our policy of promoting Wales to an international
audience, we will continue to develop and strengthen these links
within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding and the
respective concordats between the Government of the National Assembly
and the UK Government.
The Government of the National Assembly and its ASPBs
will continue to work with the UK bodies and organisations, responsible
for promoting the UK overseas. The Government of the Assembly
will continue to seek to take full advantage of the services of
these bodies and add value through its own programme of events
and activities.
Paragraph 63
We welcome the inclusion of a provision for secondments
between the National Assembly and the FCO in the Concordat on
International Relations, but we do not believe that it goes far
enough. The Government should actively encourage secondments between
UK public bodies and their Welsh counterparts of all kinds and
at all levels. The new target for the proportion of senior civil
servants who have experience outside the civil service is welcome
and we recommend that, for the purposes of evaluating whether
or not the target has been met, secondments from the main Whitehall
departments to the National Assembly for Wales and its sponsored
public bodies should count as experience outside the civil service.
We recommend that the Government should introduce a target for
the proportion of UK posts overseas which have at least one member
of staff who has some direct experience of working for the Assembly
or another public body in Wales. This should apply not just to
embassies and consulates but to offices of bodies such as the
BTA and British Council.
The Assembly continues to highlight secondments and
to encourage officials to take up positions in overseas departments,
such as UKRep Brussels or Washington. To encourage Assembly staff
to apply, a number of seminars have been held to outline the benefits
of secondments and to highlight required skills, which not only
serves to encourage officials to apply but ensures that they are
best placed to compete for and take up these positions.
The Assembly is meeting and exceeding its targets
of 6 secondments per year to European institutions as there are
currently 8 Assembly staff in various positions in Brussels. The
Assembly will continue to work with the FCO to look at ways of
encouraging a higher proportion of applications for secondments.
As we have cannot control whether staff decide to
apply for these posts, we do not believe that targets for secondments
would produce the required results.
Paragraph 64
Training and briefing on Wales and Welsh issues
is important for those overseasbased staff who are not able
to undertake secondments. Wherever possible, the Government should
arrange such training in conjunction with the National Assembly.
The National Assembly agrees that training and briefing
on Wales and on Welsh issues is important for overseas staff.
We will continue to work with the Wales Office, the FCO and other
UK Government Departments to assist with this training and encourage
new schemes. Discussions have been held at official level with
the FCO about taking this recommendation forward.
Paragraph 65
It should be recognised that participation by
Assembly Ministers and officials in UK negotiating teams in Europe
serves not only to ensure that Wales's interests are taken into
account in the negotiations, but to raise its profile on the European
stage.
The Government of the National Assembly for Wales
agrees that participation in UK negotiating teams in Europe serves
to promote Welsh interests and raise Wales' profile on the European
stage. There are a number of ways in which we promote Wales in
Europe.
Since devolution, Ministers have attended Council
of Ministers meetings, including Agriculture, Health and Culture
Councils, and an Assembly Minister has lead for the UK at a Youth
Council. Officials are also involved in working group meetings.
Attendance has exceeded initial expectations and we intend to
maintain this level of engagement.
The Assembly has established an office in Brussels,
ensuring a physical presence in the EU capital. We are taking
steps to strengthen this office, particularly via the appointment
of an officer to handle rural affairs. The Assembly works closely
with the Wales European Centre (WEC) partnership. Both the Assembly's
Brussels Office and the WEC are important tools in forging an
identity for Wales in Europe. They also ensure that we are well
placed to engage with EU institutions at an early stage.
There have been a number of bilateral meetings
between Assembly Ministers and European Commissioners. In addition,
members of the European Parliament have standing invitations to
attend the Assembly's European Affairs Committee, and to provide
a written contribution outlining their current activities. These
direct links with European Union institutions are a means of raising
Wales profile with key decision makers.
Wales is represented on the Committee of the Regions.
This institution has a consultative role within the European decision
making across a range of subjects relevant to the Assembly's work,
such as regional policy, economic and social cohesion and education
amongst others. This has provided another platform to promote
Welsh interests.
The National Assembly networks with other countries
and regions in transEuropean bodies. The Assembly's eMinister
is President of the TeleRegions Network, the First Minister
has attended a number of meetings of the European Regions with
Legislative Powers group, the Assembly is a member of a LifeLong
Learning Network and a Sustainable Development Network, and has
recently joined the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions
of Europe. Through our participation in these networks, we not
only share experience and best practice, but we are promoting
Wales and showcasing our achievements.
We have begun to engage with the accession countries
and their regions. So far we have received the Ambassadors from
Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to Wales, and have undertaken
twinning missions to Poland and Hungary. The Assembly has hosted
a visit to Wales from 12 of the 13 candidate countries, and additional
visits for officials from Slovenia and Estonia. By developing
and building on these links, the Assembly aims to ensure that
we are best placed to promote Wales in an enlarged Europe.
Paragraph 66
One way of expanding the coverage of each of the
ASPBs would be to establish a single "brand" (perhaps
including a common name and logo) which would enable overseas
offices of ASPBs effectively to act as "Welsh embassies"
providing a first stop for access to the full range of services
provided by the Assembly and the relevant services provided by
the UK Government. In the majority of cases, this might involve
little more than fielding and forwarding queries or distributing
other organisations' literature, but the existence of a single,
easily identifiable brand identity would help to promote a clear,
strong image abroad.
The Government of the National Assembly for Wales
recognises the importance of strengthening Wales as a brand and
work is in hand to develop a more coordinated approach with
the ASPBs. Consideration is also being given to strengthening
Wales' overseas representation, including the development of joint
facilities to establish Welsh centres.
Paragraph 69
We welcome the Assembly's commitment to identifying
prominent Welsh people who are willing to act as informal "ambassadors"
for Wales.
The Government of the National Assembly recognises
the role that can be played by Welsh people overseas and will
continue to look for opportunities to capitalise on the role they
can play.
Paragraph 71
The provision of genealogical research services
to those outside the UK, especially via the internet, is a promising
way of reaching out to the `Welsh community in the world, bringing
them back into contact with their home country and helping to
bolster the Welsh identity of second and subsequent generation
emigrants. This is something which should be borne in mind when
the Government and Assembly are considering funding for genealogical
services.
The National Library of Wales provides a limited
family history service within the Library building and on the
Internet. It is currently looking to further develop its service
within a dedicated Wales Family and Community History Centre.
This would be, to a large extent, a virtual centre, founded on
a substantial body of digitised genealogical and other records,
and online services designed around them. The Assembly will be
giving consideration to this in the overall approach to promoting
Wales overseas.
Paragraph 72
We commend the National Assembly for Wales on
the range of information which it has made available on the internet,
including initiatives such as "Wales world nation" which
are specifically aimed at the international market.
The Government of the National Assembly for Wales
welcomes the recognition that the Committee has given to this
very significant initiative.
Following its launch earlier this year, the WWN website
has now been translated and is available in French, German, Spanish
and Japanese. Additional languages are being considered. This
initiative will be kept under constant review. The overall aim
is to make this a state of the art communications package to compete
with the best in the world.
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