Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure – in the Senedd at 2:04 pm on 11 October 2017.
William Williams Pantycelyn is one of the most prominent figures of Wales, there’s no doubt about that, not just because of his contribution to the Methodist reformation and the over 900 hymns that he wrote, many of them among the most popular today still, but also he made a huge contribution towards the cultural and educational development of Wales. He modernised the Welsh language, was one of the first to write in Welsh against slavery in America; he was also very prominent in insisting that women should have the same rights as men in marriage and so on. The Welsh Government made huge efforts and carried out huge campaigns to mark the hundredth anniversary of the births of Roald Dahl and Dylan Thomas, and I do compare that, with all due respect, and look at it in a very different way in terms of this celebration at this Parliament, in this Assembly, in partnership with the national library, much as I welcome that event. A precedent has been set through the Roald Dahl and Dylan Thomas celebrations for truly celebrating some of the giants of our nation. More than 1,200 people have signed a petition asking for real investment in this. Does the Welsh Government agree that Pantycelyn too deserves real investment in his commemoration given his influence on Welsh culture and life?