Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:52 pm on 21 November 2017.
Thank you very much for those questions. In terms of admission prices, our intention consistently is to retain a balance between open access, as far as possible—and free access to organisations and institutions such as museums—and the right or opportunity of citizens who live near significant monuments—. You will be aware of the situation in Caernarfon, as am I, where admission prices to these buildings are tempered by opportunities for local citizens to access these monuments. I will say more tomorrow, I think, as there is a question tabled on this issue, about reorganising the plan for local residents to have easier access to these buildings and to make that less complex.
No, I have no intention to merge any other national institutions. I want to make that clear. I may have an intention—and not too confidential an intention—to perhaps create, or to give another national institution the opportunity to rename itself as a national institution in a language that can be understood by all, but that is an issue for the institutions themselves. I don’t intend to be interventionist as Minister, but I will be using my position, as will the relevant committees of this Assembly, to scrutinise what these bodies are doing.
Financial considerations don’t drive cultural policy. Cultural policies are decided by issues of culture and, particularly in the case of Cadw, the pleasure we can give to ourselves as citizens and residents to enjoy our heritage, and the inspiration we can draw from them, and the huge interest that is expressed by visitors to Wales in the way in which we safeguard our heritage. That is the driver.
In terms of Historic Wales, Historic Wales is alive and well as a partnership between heritage organisations. Good practice within Cadw, particularly its practice in terms of generating income, will hopefully be an inspiration to other major national institutions that generate far less income than Cadw currently does and where a high proportion of their funding comes directly from the Welsh Government budget. I won't name any names here today, but you will understand what I'm alluding to, and this effort by my predecessor, fair play to him, to actually rattle the cage that has brought us to this position in ensuring a future for Cadw within Government while simultaneously being a business organisation.