Meetings of the Court of Governors - 4 October 2002

A meeting of the COURT OF GOVERNORS held on 4 October 2002 in the Court Room, National Museum & Gallery.

PRESENT:
Mathew Prichard, President; Roger G Thomas, Vice President; G Wyn Howells, Treasurer; Susan Davies (Vice President Elect); Nancy Edwards; Wynford Evans; Win Griffiths MP; Rhiannon Wyn Hughes; Colin Jones; D Parry Jones; Eirlys Pritchard Jones; Lewis Jones; Dafydd Bowen Lewis; Hefin Looker; Paul Loveluck (President Elect); Linda Quinn; Joan Roam; David Rogers; Mike Salter; Mair Waldo Thomas; Anthea Wellington; Brian Willott.

IN ATTENDANCE
Anna Southall, Director NMGW; Eurwyn Wiliam, Deputy Director NMGW; Robin Gwyn, Director of Strategic Communications; Mark Richards, Director of Resource Planning; Michael Tooby, Director NMG; John Williams-Davies, Director MWL; Tony Lloyd, Head of Administration.

APOLOGIES:
Apologies for absence from the meeting were received from Richard Cass; Sybil Crouch; Chris Delaney; Gwilym Humphries; Huw Jones; Jonathan Jones; John King; Patricia Larsen; Eleri Wyn Lewis; Hélène Mansfield; Malcolm Parry; Colin Rowland; Paul Thomas.

375a - MINUTES:
Resolved: That the minutes of the Court of Governors meeting held on 24 May 2002 be approved.

375b - APPOINTMENT OF PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT:
Reported: That the President, Mathew Prichard, congratulated Court, Council, its Committees and all NMGW employees for their help, support and dedication throughout both his and the Vice-President’s (Roger G Thomas) terms of office. At this stage he handed over the Presidency to Paul Loveluck and Roger Thomas handed over the Vice-Presidency to Susan Davies.

The new President recorded his thanks to both Mathew, Roger and also thanked the Director, Anna Southall, who was leaving the Museum to take up the post of Chief Executive of Resource, England.

Since its meeting on 24 May when Court had appointed himself as President and Susan as Vice President, the President had benefited from a six-month hand-over period that he felt was invaluable, as it had been a time for consultation. He was confident that both he and the Vice-President would be able to build even further on those achievements already made.

375c - REPORT OF THE COUNCIL:
Received: The 94th Annual Report and Accounts for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002.
Reported: That the President congratulated the editor and his staff on such a well-presented report. The Director made her report to Court and highlighted extracts from her speech made to the Council the previous evening (copy attached). The President then commended the Annual Report to the Court.

In response to a question from Win Griffiths MP on the future funding for and development of the Collections Centre, Nantgarw he was assured that this was a major bid in NMGWs Corporate Plan. The President highlighted the need for the expansion to the Collections Centre as it was key to the Museum’s plans for partnerships throughout Wales in being able to move collections around Wales.

In a response to another question from Win Griffiths on the Museum’s involvement with local authority museums, he was assured that NMGW gave much assistance to these museums in its role as a member of the Council of Museums in Wales, the body responsible for this work. The Vice President highlighted that there was still not a body in Wales to match Resource for England, but that this was being considered. Practical facilities for partnership arrangements were therefore needed even more as this was expanding and NMGW wished to meet the need. She noted that this was to be discussed by Council at its meeting this afternoon.

In response to a question from Linda Quinn it was confirmed that proposals were being considered by the Finance & General Purposes Committee for a Trading Company and it was hoped to launch it at the beginning of the next financial year (1 April 2003).

Mair Waldo Thomas congratulated Museum staff on the Report and asked whether wheelchair access was planned for the main entrance to NMG. She was assured that the Museum was in active discussion with Cadw about disabled access but a solution was made difficult by its Grade 1 listing.

Linda Quinn questioned the need for the Welsh Slate Museum to close on Saturdays and it was confirmed that the site only closed in the winter between November and March, but that this was under review.

The President noted to Court that free entry at many of the Museums, especially at the Welsh Slate Museum, had been a great boon to local businesses and as a result, greater community support for free entry had been expressed, although concern had been expressed about the impact of free entry to Big Pit on a newly privately run visitor attraction.

The Treasurer presented the accounts. He noted that the Museum had received £1.1 million additional funding for free entry and a £1 million one-off payment towards the Museum’s Pension Fund. There had been a £300,000 improvement in the net sales of the shops and an increase in donations and bequests of £2.5 million that included a donation of assets and a painting by Gainsbourgh). The expenditure increase had been influenced by the integration of Big Pit and in staff costs. The net movement in funds during the financial year of £5.584 million was in part due to the revaluation of fixed assets with the fixed assets showing an adjustment in debtors to reflect the balance of the sale proceeds of WIMM and for NWMS.

The Treasurer brought to the attention of Court the Auditor General for Wales’ opinion on the Financial Statements which he felt gave a true and fair view of the state of affairs of NMGW and that he had no observations to make on these Financial Statements. The President commended the Museum in its ability to pay valid invoices in line (and in fact better than) the CBI’s Code of Practice.
Resolved: Accordingly.

375d - FUTURE OF THE COURT OF GOVERNORS:
Reported: That the recommendations of the Court’s Working Party had been presented to the Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language and the Assembly Officials have indicated she was likely to want to discuss it further with the President in the autumn.

The President had already commenced the consultation process with the existing Committees and Panels and it is hoped that by the next meeting of Court, a scheme for the future, informed by the National Library of Wales' deliberations, would be presented.

It was stressed that if there were any changes to those recommendations agreed by the Court that were requested by the Minister, they would need to come back to Court for agreement.

The President informed Court that future meetings could use video conferencing at other museum sites if required and that Council would be making use of this facility.

375e - DIRECTOR GENERAL:
Reported: That the recruitment process for post of Director General was well advanced and that members of Court would be notified as soon as a decision had been made.

375f - DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING:
Resolved: That the next meeting of the Court of Governors be held on Thursday 22 May 2003 at a venue (to be decided) outside of Cardiff with video links to facilitate attendance of members.