Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: There are a range of projects benefiting communities in Islwyn, including 15 schools delivering the daily mile, four healthy and active fund projects working within communities, investment into active travel and safe routes to schools, sport development funding and four sites gaining the Green Flag Award scheme.
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Following the comprehensive review of free swimming, I have now written to all Assembly Members with a full explanation of the revised initiative and its more targeted approach. Local authorities and delivery partners will be expected to focus on supporting young people and older citizens from more disadvantaged areas of Wales.
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you for this opportunity to introduce this LCM. I’d like to thank the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee and the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee for their positive reports on these regulations, and particularly on the proposals that they have considered. Birmingham, as you know, was given the right to stage...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Diolch, Rhianon. The tourism strategy of Welsh Government sets out priorities to support the tourism industry across Wales. This includes marketing campaigns in the UK and overseas, and significant capital development funding for new and existing tourism businesses, along with revenue funding for significant regional projects.
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: What I'm particularly anxious to promote is the link between the amazing landscape and the very significant industrial heritage. Since you've mentioned Cwmcarn, you'll remember that I opened the lodge and adventure hub there, which was funded via the tourist attraction destination programme, in July this year. I think Cwmcarn does represent a significant attraction in itself, and I'm...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Thank you. Let's understand the position: I don't have to work with Visit Wales; they work for me as the Minister for tourism, and I'm pleased to say that I have a most excellent relationship with Visit Wales and its management, and that extends, of course, to Natural Resources Wales, because it's clearly important that all the agencies work together. I'm not going to give you a date as to...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Of course I will warmly support any voluntary activity that takes place in support of the Welsh environment, and in particular of our distinctive forest environment. I wish to thank the voluntary organisation that has been involved, and other voluntary organisations throughout Wales that support our landscape policies and our landscape vision, for the work that they do on a voluntary basis.
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Thank you very much. Caerphilly has a very significant industrial heritage—indeed, a very significant built heritage generally. And, for me, the industrial structures and sites—over 40 of them—in the authority that have been designated as listed buildings and scheduled monuments indicates that the industrial past represent for us a way to understand where we have come from as a people....
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Well, you will know, Hefin, that there is already permission in place for residential use on that site. And also my understanding is that Caerphilly County Borough Council and the private developer are in continuing discussions about the future of the site. However, the relevant Minister, sitting next to me, has heard what’s just been said. The Valleys regional park includes Parc Penallta...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Thank you very much for that, David. I have spent some time visiting, in particular, the local museums, and what I'm encouraging societies and voluntary groups that are concerned about either the built heritage or any other aspect of the environment or of our industrial memory to do is to work closely with our local museums and also with the national museum itself, because clearly there’s...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: The transformation of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney in recent years into an area offering a rich, world-class visitor experience has been a great inspiration to me in developing industrial heritage throughout Wales. In addition to that, the investment that Welsh Government has made in exciting projects, both Rock UK and BikePark Wales, emphasises the importance of recreation within a traditional...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: I'm very grateful for your appreciation of what we have been attempting to do. It's a very difficult situation here, Deputy Chair: do I look at the Member and reply to her, or do I look to you? I don't want to be declared out of order. [Laughter.] As you mentioned, the investment that we've already made is an indication of our support for activities in Merthyr. I have visited Cyfarthfa on a...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: The Healthy and Active Fund is delivered through a partnership between the Government, Sport Wales and Public Health Wales, with Sport Wales playing the lead role in the administration of the fund. The result of that is that all partners will be part of the monitoring of the project and the oversight of the fund.
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: The reduction in funding is a reduction specifically on a scheme that was clearly not reaching the populations for whom it was intended. But it certainly is our intention that the younger people should benefit from this initiative. The key, to us, is working with the leisure centres themselves and with the local authorities, and this is Sport Wales's intention. Our Healthy and Active Fund...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Thank you very much, Llywydd. It is particularly appropriate, in my view, that I am making this statement at this particular time. It has never been more appropriate to celebrate our culture, the unique nature and identity of Wales, our landscape and the incredible adventures that are to be had here, or, indeed, to invite people to the nation that we all consider to be particularly beautiful....
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: The basis of the new brand is this emphasis on the 'years of', but it’s not just a matter of one year at a time. We have now extended these years over two years, so that these themes can dovetail together—themes such as 'legends', 'adventure', 'the sea' and, to come next year, the 'Year of Outdoors'. These bring different organisations, the length and breadth of Wales, together under one...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: I was told, when I asked people’s views, that we needed to show how tourism could contribute to our wider aims for future generations, and, as a result of that, we have set that ambition as central to the plan. We have also been discussing all of this in detail with the industry and with the sector. From the tourism summit held in March of last year, and following the questions asked there,...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: I'm very grateful for the enthusiasm displayed in the response by David Melding. I will agree that Conwy is probably one of the most frightening castles ever built. As you know, I am a citizen of the county of Conwy, but I have to tell you that this most frightening of castles is now blessed with the latest effort in tapestry inspired by Cefyn Burgess and school pupils from that part of the...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: I'm sure you have.
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Which indicates clearly that we have the opportunity for long-distance hiking of the kind that you emphasised. I also agree with boutique hotels. We have a significant pipeline of hotels and we are continuing to make sure that in our tourism offer there are always—at the head of that offer, we're seeking to invest in increasing and developing the quality of our hotels throughout Wales.
