A Senedd member warned Wales faces a watershed moment for culture as the Welsh Parliament debated cuts at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Rhianon Passmore, MS for islwyn, led a Senedd debate on a 10,560-name petition against the RWCMD’s decision to cut junior programmes which were established 25 years ago.

The Labour backbencher said the petitions committee is extremely concerned about the impact of funding cuts on the pipeline for talented musicians.

Ms Passmore, who has been chairing the committee temporarily, said: “This would leave Welsh children at a profound disadvantage to their English and Scottish counterparts.”

Ms Passmore, a former music teacher who is chairman of the cross-party group on music, said: “How we minimise the impact of funding cuts on our cultural institutions in the current economic climate is a critical issue for Wales and for our young people.”

She welcomed the Welsh Government’s “encouraging” announcement of an additional £5m for culture and arm’s-length bodies such as the Arts Council of Wales.

She said: “The economic impact of stifling music development and the nurturing of our young people’s musical talent is of grave concern.

“Unless the Welsh Government steps in to safeguard institutions like the RWCMD, then we are at a watershed moment in the regression of Welsh cultural life.

“This is without the devastating reduction of Welsh National Opera to a part-time outfit.”

Monmouth MS Peter Fox, a Conservative member of the petitions committee, warned the cuts will result in 112 staff losing their jobs and a loss of 400 students.

He said: “This will be an incredibly damaging blow to the arts scene … and threatens the future of an important part of our future cultural offer.

“It is a jewel in the crown we should be proud of and we should look to preserve.

“Sometimes, things aren’t always about money – they’re about social value and the importance that these things bring.”

Mr Fox said about 50 per cent of students received bursaries, with many paying minimal or no fees.

He warned that many talented young musicians will find accessing training unaffordable, saying the cuts will have an incredibly detrimental impact.

Heledd Fychan, Plaid Cymru’s shadow culture secretary, recognised the “huge” financial pressure on the RWCMD which faced a six per cent cut in public funding this year.

She said: “They need to make 10 per cent spending savings this year, which corresponds to £1.5m and closing the provision that we’re addressing today contributes 16 per cent of the 10 per cent needed.”