- Cymraeg
- English
Botanic Gardens Bail out
February 6, 2008 3:30 PM
The Deputy First Minister has today announced that WAG will be awarding a one-off grant of up to £1.9 million to the National Botanic Gardens of Wales to pay off its debts.
Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Economy Kirsty Williams AM said:
"There is no doubt that this is an important and iconic asset to Wales, this institution is valued not only as a tourist attraction but as an educational and scientific resource.
"However I regret that its promise of greatness has been marred by financial problems.
"It is inevitable that this money would have to be found after the millennium centre was given its grant; it would be difficult to justify helping one institution but not the other.
"The Minister has sold this grant as a one-off and stated that the Garden will be self-sustaining in the future, no botanic garden in the UK is self-sustaining. Indeed the Garden would need some 250,000 visitors each year to be financially independent, figures which make this an unlikely reality."
"The Minster must be honest and up front about the fact that further support may be needed in the future.
"The minister has failed to explain where the under spend that would fund the grant would come from or how much would come from the heritage budget. He tried to defend this grant by saying that others would not loose out.
"But he is not taking the opportunity cost into account- money spent here means it cannot be spent elsewhere - the Minister cannot spend money twice and this means other worthwhile institutions will loose out.
"I welcome the letting out of the Technium space and the economic and research benefits this will bring to the centre and to Wales but I am concerned that this space must be used to its optimum capacity."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats