Proposed Government Plan 2020–23: increase in revenue expenditure on the arts, heritage and culture (P.40/2019) – comments [P.40/2019 Com.]

STATES OF JERSEY

PROPOSED GOVERNMENT PLAN 2020–23: INCREASE IN REVENUE EXPENDITURE ON THE ARTS, HERITAGE AND CULTURE (P.40/2019) – COMMENTS

Presented to the States on 29th April 2019

by the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture

STATES GREFFE

2019  P.40 Com.

COMMENTS

Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade is asking the States, in P.40/2019, to endorse an increase in Government funding to arts, heritage and culture, and to take such steps as are necessary to achieve this through the Government Plan.

I agree in principle that this sector must receive appropriate additional financial support in order that it can continue to thrive and deliver cultural, social and economic benefits for Jersey.

An appropriately financed and resourced sector can provide value for Jersey far beyond the immediately measurable outputs of each cultural organisation, by –

• delivering education, a participative community, health and well-being
• creating a place where people want to live and feel fulfilled
• providing a lever for inward investment and attracting and retaining talent
• supporting and developing an environment (and broad economy) in which creative thinking and innovation is nurtured
• developing  soft  diplomacy  outputs,  assisting  to  build  on  and  protect Jersey's international reputation
• supporting tourism – the tourist sector can leverage off these successes
• supporting and growing our volunteer culture
• developing local expertise in the sector, that if lost could take a generation to rebuild.

I am nevertheless reluctant to support this specific proposition for 2 reasons.

Firstly, I am concerned that imposing a 1% of Government spend target would be an arbitrary measure based on statistics that do not take into account Jersey's specific circumstances.

Applying a fixed percentage suggests that the need is also fixed, and that we are content to set a precedent for how funding is agreed based on evidence from elsewhere. Some may consider this a reasonable approach for a larger country where financial needs are smoothed by a portfolio effect of supported organisations and assets. For my part, I do not believe that this is the case for Jersey. It may be too much, or it might be too little to secure the vibrancy and success of the sector.

The  above  leads  onto  my  second  concern.  We  have  a  new  Government  Plan methodology whereby budgets are approved based on demonstrated need and developed business cases.

I believe that we need to follow that methodology in order that we consider funding proposals that are properly developed and costed. This proposition invites the Assembly to deviate from that methodology.

Under the Government Plan process, draft business cases have been submitted by our department (Growth, Housing and Environment) that seek a staged increase in annual funding to the arts, culture and heritage organisations currently funded by Government.

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These exclude additional funding bids being submitted through the Long-Term Capital Plan that propose still further investment over the next 4 years.

These current bids do not presently take into account the outcomes of the forthcoming Arts Strategy and Heritage Strategy, which will be developed during 2019 and 2020. Imposing a target level of investment in arts, culture and heritage may inadvertently serve to restrict such proposals.

Officers are already working closely with the arts, culture and heritage organisations. They have developed a meaningful partnership and trust between these organisations and Government. Through these efforts, Government has already made £160,000 of additional funding available to ArtHouseJersey' through the Investment Appraisal Board process. In addition, further funding for both the Jersey Opera House Limited and the Jersey Arts Centre Association has been agreed for 2019.

As such, whilst I reiterate my support for Deputy Tadier 's intentions, I feel that the funding needs of the arts, culture and heritage sector would be better served through supporting bids for these sectors through the Government Plan process in the first instance.

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