3. 2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:35 pm on 4 July 2017.

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Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 2:35, 4 July 2017

Can I support the calls for an update on the Year of Legends strategy? I really appreciate the fact that there’s a fellow colleague in north Wales seeking to get some of our treasures back into the region. One of the other treasures that is associated both with the Delyn and Clwyd West constituencies is the finger bone of St Winefride, of St Winefride’s holy well fame, who, of course, was originally interred in Gwytherin, in my own constituency, and whose bones were, frankly, pinched by the monks of Shrewsbury abbey in order to encourage people to visit that town. And I wonder whether we could have a message from the Welsh Government on the importance of that relic to north Wales, and whether there might be an arrangement and an opportunity to host a visit by that relic, in conjunction with the Roman Catholic Church, to both Gwytherin, and indeed to Holywell, at some point in the future?

Can I also call for a Welsh Government statement on the Ministry of Defence estate review? This is something that I know many colleagues across the Chamber have expressed concerns about in the past. I appreciate that defence matters are not devolved to this National Assembly, but the estate review will have a significant impact across Wales—in north Wales, in Prestatyn and Wrexham, and in places like Chepstow, Brecon, and elsewhere. And I think it’s very important that the Welsh Government has a clear position on this, and that the Assembly—on a cross-party basis—can come together around a common message, in terms of the importance of the footprint of the defence estate here in Wales, given the contribution that we make to the armed forces personnel more generally. So, I would appreciate a statement on the Welsh Government’s position on that, and any discussions that you might be having with the UK Government, and the Ministry of Defence.