2. Will the First Minister make a statement on support for heritage tourism in north Wales? (OAQ51173)

We are supporting a number of initiatives for heritage tourism in the north. For example, as part of the heritage tourism project, Cadw spent approximately £7.8 million improving and conserving some of its heritage tourism sites in the north.

Thank you, First Minister. As you are aware, there is a host of amazing heritage attractions right across north Wales, including St Winefride’s Well and Basingwerk Abbey in my own constituency, which I did my bit to promote with tourism videos over the summer, and would also benefit from enhanced brown signage along the A55. And of course, there is the Mold gold cape, found in 1833 in Mold and currently housed in the British Museum. I know, First Minister, you’ll be aware that I am keen to one day see the Mold cape exhibited for the first time back in the town where it was discovered. But by doing this, and working in partnership with the various stakeholders and representatives to make it happen and make it a reality, on Friday I was able to take the time to visit the British Museum and see the gold cape up close and also talk with the curators and representatives there. I’m interested in how major institutions can and should work in partnership with communities to bring our heritage closer to the people and to make it accessible to everyone. First Minister, do you agree that this is important and what support can be given to ensure that our past provides a legacy for our future?

Well, we know that it’s hugely important that we celebrate our past but not live in it. We have a history that is the equal of any country in the world. The Member has mentioned the gold cape, which, of course, is of particular interest to her as the Member for Delyn. I know that there are discussions between our officials and the officials of Flintshire County Council in terms of what might need to be done. There’s a long way to go yet in terms of finding somewhere that would satisfy the British Museum in terms of security and the right environment to display the gold cape. But we know that artefacts from the past are hugely important in generating interest, generating tourism and generating money, of course, for local communities.

One of the things that has the potential to damage heritage tourism is, of course, the proposals that your Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government unveiled last week for a potential tourism tax here in Wales. Whilst that might not affect you and your Cabinet colleagues so much given the luxury hotels that you must frequent on a regular basis, it could significantly impact on the lower cost end of the holiday market, much of it in my own constituency and your constituency, First Minister, namely on holiday caravan parks. What action are you going to take to ensure that people who are less well off don’t have their aspirations to have an annual holiday undermined by your ridiculous proposals for a tourism tax in Wales?

He stands there and lectures us about the less well off when only a few days ago he wanted to get rid of the education maintenance allowance. There he is—he stands there—. In fairness the brass neck is shining in front of us. But the reality is that we can’t take lectures from the Tories about this. We know that tourism taxes exist in many countries in the world. It makes no difference at all to demand, but what it does is generate money for tourism businesses. It generates the infrastructure for tourism so that visitors contribute more, rather than local people—his constituents—having to pay more in order to provide the infrastructure for tourists. We think that’s a way of sharing the burden. We think that’s a good way of ensuring more money is available for tourism. I would have thought, given his constituency—. [Interruption.] Yes, I know it hurts. I know it hurts, but, given his constituency, I would have thought he would welcome anything that would ensure that visitors pay a little more to contribute to the local economy. He is against his own constituents’ interests.

Following the mess that your Government made of the issue of the iron ring at Flint castle, can I ask you what arrangements are in place now to ensure that any interpretation of heritage happens from a Welsh perspective and context and not from someone else’s perspective?

We always interpret heritage from the perspective of what is good for us in Wales. We have a history of castles, castles that were built by an English king who wanted to turn Wales into some kind of fortress. Despite that, we celebrate that heritage, but we understand, of course, that those castles now belong to the people of Wales. There is a balance to be struck. For me, personally, there is nothing wrong in celebrating what we already have, because so many things that were done to the people of Wales are now controlled by the people of Wales.