THE minister responsible for the body which cut off the funding to Gwent Theatre was grilled by a cross-party group of Assembly members over the decision during a heated debate.

Gwent AMs Lynne Neagle, Mohammad Asghar, William Graham and Veronica German all quizzed heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones in the Assembly about the theatre in education organisation, which will have its final performance tonight.

It has been forced to close after its funding was pulled by the Arts Council of Wales last year.

Leanne Neagle, Torfaen AM, lead the charge, asking: “On the basis of the strong criticism of your approach in the communities and culture committee, which accused you of washing your hands of this issue, will you look at this again and intervene with the arts council?”

Mr Jones said: “I have not washed my hands of anything.”

He added said no-one had raised the fact that theatre in education was not supported by local councils, and that Torfaen, Caerphilly and Newport “had not been supportive in general” of Gwent Theatre.

Mr Asghar then asked whether Mr Jones agreed the Assembly had some level of accountability for what the Arts Council decided, despite the arm’s length policy between the Assembly and the arts council.

His colleague, Tory South Wales East AM William Graham, then asked Mr Jones whether he would look again at the company’s position.

“No other provider of theatre in schools is likely to take over [Gwent Theatre’s] responsibility, which will deprive many children of their only opportunity to experience live artistic performance,” he said.

Mr Jones replied that the idea every child had access at one time to a live theatre experience “was simply not true”.

Mrs German, Liberal Democrat member for South Wales East, said Gwent Theatre did not expect theatre in education schemes were not going to be a major plank of arts council funding before it put forward its application for its annual grant.

She said: “Do you condone moving the goalposts after business plans have been written, or do you really not care?”

Mr Jones said he very much cared about the provision of arts to young people - and said he had no knowledge of goalposts being moved.