1. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on Welsh Government plans to improve access to Cadw-maintained heritage sites for local people in their respective areas? OAQ51325

Thank you very much for that question. The Welsh Government, through Cadw, strives for an accessible, well-protected historic environment for Wales. In addition to the newly improved local residents pass, it will introduce new schemes to further promote access to its monuments, to avoid admission prices being a barrier for Welsh residents and under-represented audiences.

Thank you for that. I'd like to welcome the Minister to his post—a Minister for spreading joy around the nation. [Laughter.] And who better?

Earlier this year, I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary, when he was responsible, regarding a Cadw local residents scheme, which you just mentioned. That was because residents in Caerphilly were unable to access Cadw sites on geographical boundary reasons, which were related to the old Caerphilly urban district council boundaries. The Cabinet Secretary wrote to me on 28 July, when he said that there'd be a limited membership scheme, which would negate the need for these antiquated boundaries. And I was hoping now for an update on the implementation of the scheme, which I assume is the scheme to which you just referred. Would it now be available to residents in my constituency to access?

I can confirm that I have been made fully aware of the current Cadw local residents pass scheme, and particularly of the issues in Caerphilly in relation to local boundary issues, as you describe, where some residents who are living near the monument weren't able to apply for a pass. I am pleased to say that this review, to which my colleague the Cabinet Secretary referred, of a local residents pass across Wales, was undertaken over the summer and, as a result, a new and more inclusive membership offer will replace the previous pass, giving access to one named site on a regular basis. Therefore, the boundary issues you have mentioned are now being rectified, and new arrangements will replace the previous pass from the end of this month. Clearly, if there are any further difficulties, I'm sure you, along with my own family in Caernarfon who live within the town wall, will be very interested in what the Minister will have to say.

I must also welcome the new Minister to his new role. I was going to refer to you as the Minister for fun, but perhaps Minister for joy, as Hefin David has described you, is more appropriate. I look forward to working with you in the future, Minister.

As you may or may not know, my home village of Raglan in Monmouthshire is of course best known for its stunning castle, maintained by Cadw. And residents of the village are allowed completely free access to the castle by means of a residents pass, and have been since 1938, when ownership first passed from, I think it was the tenth Duke of Beaufort, to the Commissioner of Works, as was the case at that time.

The scheme has worked very well for those people who know it exists, but a lot of newcomers to the village weren't aware of that. So, in addition to some of the changes that you're planning as part of the review of the new improved residents pass, can you also make sure that people living adjacent to sites such as Raglan castle, and other Cadw sites across Wales, know full well their rights when it comes to supporting and entering those sites?

Well, I'm very keen that everyone who is able to benefit from the revised scheme will be able to do so. And, certainly, this relates closely to the statement I made yesterday, whereby the emphasis was on Cadw remaining in Government, but becoming an even more commercial organisation than it is already. And, as I implied yesterday, Cadw has produced substantial revenue. I'm certain that, having heard this exchange today, they will want to pursue their direct marketing for the beneficiaries of the new scheme as soon as the scheme is announced. And, certainly, if it would help the Member for Monmouth, I would be very pleased to visit his castle of Raglan to see the fine building, which I have passed on a number of occasions but haven't recently visited, and would be very happy to meet with some of the residents that might be beneficiaries of this pass, to make sure that they ensure that their rights are satisfied.