Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to set up a protocol with the Welsh Government on the funding of opera.

The Government remains committed in its support for opera, with Arts Council England (ACE) providing over £30 million per annum to opera organisations through its National Portfolio programme. This includes funding for Welsh National Opera’s activity in England.

The government does not currently intend to establish a formal protocol with the Welsh Government for funding opera. Nevertheless, appropriate opportunities to discuss shared matters, including support for opera, will continue. Arts Council England (ACE) makes funding decisions independently to safeguard the arms-length principle and engages with Arts Council Wales as required, particularly for organisations like Welsh National Opera (WNO).

In 2024, ACE published the Let’s Create: Opera and Music Theatre Analysis which was prompted by debate over funding changes. The key aims of the study were to understand how the opera sector operates, identify issues in production and distribution, and inform future investment decisions.