The Welsh National Assembly has narrowly defeated a controversial plan submitted by Culture Minister Alan Pugh which would have bypassed the Welsh Arts Council and seen six of Wales’ largest arts groups funded directly by the Assembly. It didn’t take long for the official debate to descend into shouting and accusations of hidden agendas. “The truth of the matter is that he who pays the piper calls the tune,” said one Assemblyman opposed to the plan, which opponents feared would make arts groups vulnerable to interference by politicians.