A new "Ealing Comedy" made in Wales?

 The state of the Welsh economy is so fragile that the Welsh Government seems desperate to strike any deal  with investors.even if it turns out to be disastrous.

They seem to hope that they can bathe in the publicity of a  "major investment"  and hope that if does go "Tits Up".

We now have  another example of such folly.

The BBC has reported that the film group Pinewood has stopped paying rent for a studio at a Welsh Government-owned building in Cardiff.

It entered a 15-year lease in January 2015, but BBC Wales has learned it is no longer considered to be a tenant at the Wentloog facility.
The Welsh Government said Pinewood remained committed to Wales and was operating the studio under a new agreement. 


Pinewood only began paying rent for its Cardiff studio in January 2017 after it emerged its first two years had been rent-free. 

So it has paid less than a year rent for the Studio before ceasing to do so

The deal was part of an agreement to move into the former energy centre on the outskirts of Cardiff when the building was bought by the Welsh Government for £5.2m.
BBC Wales used a Freedom of Information request to confirm Pinewood was no longer a tenant.
But despite stating a new agreement had been reached between Pinewood and the Welsh Government to operate the studio, further details have not been published for "commercial" reasons.



So far it appears the studio has been involved with,

• The Bastard Executioner - FX channel medieval series, cancelled after the first season
• Journey's End - a World War One play's film adaption starring Sam Claflin and Toby Jones
• The State - Peter Kosminsky's mini-series for Channel 4, dramatising British Muslims going to fight with so-called Islamic State
• Showdogs - a canine crime caper film with Will Arnett
• A remake of the 1994 film The Crow was slated to be the first film to be shot at the studios in 2015,but production delays put the project on hold.Filming for BBC 
• Three series Class (a spin-off of Doctor Who) took place here excluding the corridor and hall scenes. Which was cancelled after its first series.

I imagine at least two of the above would have been made at the BBC Wale's own facilities  before Pinewood started operating.


Responding to questions in the Senedd on 6 December, culture minister Dafydd Elis-Thomas told AMs: 

  "Pinewood remains committed to operating the studio in Wentloog and continuing to promote Wales internationally as a destination for high-end TV and film production."

Conservative culture spokeswoman Suzy Davies, who raised the issue in the Senedd, has called for more information about the relationship between Pinewood and the Welsh Government.
Ms Davies said:

 "This news does not appear to fit with what the culture minister told me two weeks ago when he said 'Pinewood remains committed to operating the studio in Wentloog'.
"Instead we are left with more questions about what Welsh Government's relationship with Pinewood is and whether there is a relationship at all now.
"Since my last questions to Welsh Government I have had two offers to meet with the minister to discuss this further in the new year.
"I hope that some clarity can be gained as these mixed messages from Welsh Government are unlikely to be helping in their attempts to make Wales an attractive place to make high-end television and film productions."

A Welsh Government spokesman said Pinewood was committed to Wales and having the company in Cardiff had given Wales a global advantage.
It said it had been invaluable to the film and television sector and the studio was also home to key supply chain companies.

"Pinewood is continuing to operate the Wentloog studio under a new agreement, the terms of which remain confidential,

Confidential? Surly we have a right to know if  we are being taken a ride by whoever is running Pinewood.

Maybe Pinewood old rivals should consider making a new "Ealing Comedy " about a hapless minister faced with a new scandal desperately trying to amen one disastrous  decision after another.