Commenting on reports the Wales Millennium Centre is in serious danger of insolvency, Shadow Culture Minister Paul Davies AM has today said:

"This is a dire situation for such an iconic Welsh institution to be in. It is extremely important now that the Heritage Minister makes an urgent statement in the Senedd.

"I am very concerned that this report has only surfaced now. The debt has not accumulated overnight. It appears the previous Labour Assembly Government tried to bury the problem.

"The original business plan and documents set out before building began, projected the Wales Millennium Centre would make a profit. We need to know why it has made such huge losses.

"The Wales Millennium Centre is an iconic Welsh building which plays a vital role in our cultural life and tourist industry.

"Assembly Members need to be given the full facts about the current situation.

"Any proposal to use public money to support the WMC, in the months and years ahead, must not come at the expense of other arts projects across Wales."