AQO 3431/22-27 Oral question to the Minister for Communities
To ask the Minister for Communities for an update on the Heritage, Culture and Creativity Programme.
Asked by Sian Mulholland MLA on 26 March 2026
- Answered
- Oral
- Answered in the Chamber
- Tabled
- 26 March 2026
- Answer due by
- 20 April 2026
- Answered
- 20 April 202625 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for Communities
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Answered in the Assembly Chamber on 20 April 2026. Extract from the Official Report (Hansard), including any supplementary questions:
Mr Lyons
I am pleased to confirm that the preparation of public consultations for each policy in my heritage, culture and creativity programme is now at an advanced stage. I expect the first consultation in respect of the museums policy to launch next week. My officials are finalising practical arrangements for that. The public consultations on the libraries, arts and historical environment policies will follow in sequence, and I expect the majority of the process to be complete before the summer. That approach will see consultations for each policy being launched in a staggered fashion to ensure that those with overlapping interests have adequate time to provide a response to each one in turn, should they wish to do so.
Final policies will be published once consultation responses have been analysed and fully considered, and a collated heritage, culture and creativity action plan will follow when the suite of policies is finalised.
Mr Speaker
Ms Mulholland, briefly.
Ms Mulholland
Minister, many in the arts sector say that you talk the talk, but they are still waiting for you to walk the walk. This has been going on for so long. They have waited for so long for the policies. What is the hold-up? Why is your Department not bringing forward these policies in a timely manner?
Mr Lyons
We are bringing them forward. As I said in the initial answer, public consultations will follow in sequence, and the majority of the process will be completed before the summer. We want to give that time so that people who have an interest in the overlapping policies have time to respond. I want to make sure that it is done, and I am driving it forward.
Mr Speaker
We move on to topical questions.