7. 5. Statement: The Future of Heritage Services in Wales — A New Strategic Partnership and the Future of Cadw

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:30 pm on 4 April 2017.

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Photo of Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas Independent 5:30, 4 April 2017

(Translated)

Well, I find myself in a very unexpected situation—I agree with every word that David Rowlands said, and regret the negative attitude coming from other directions, and the Minister already knows that. But may I just ask two questions? Firstly, the fact that the Minister has accepted the recommendations made by the steering group, chaired by the excellent Justin Albert, having got to know him through the trust, does mean that the Minister is progressing, in general terms, to implementing those recommendations. Is that the case? That’s the first question. The second question is: what is the timetable that the Minister hopes to follow in this regard? Because those of us who share his vision have aspired for many years to seeing the major national institutions being reborn for the twenty-first century as they were born initially at the turn of the nineteenth century and the twentieth century. And the excellent work that Cadw does—and I have referred to this in the past—particularly in interpreting sites such as Harlech castle recently, and the way that has impacted the economy of the area directly, does demonstrate what can be achieved in having more collaboration. So, more wind in the sails of the Minister and David Rowlands.