Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Our heritage and culture belong to us all, and it gives me enormous pleasure to speak to you today about the vital work that is being undertaken to improve access to our very special monuments and here in Wales. Our spectacular natural landscapes and our world-class sites have more than contributed to the record number of visitors over recent years to Cadw sites, which illustrates what our impressive Cadw sites have to offer.

Ensuring that sites attract as many people as possible, as well as making them accessible, has been a real priority for the Welsh Government and Cadw. Many of our sites have recently taken great strides to achieve this. From Criccieth castle in the north-west to Castell Coch in the south-east, I have had the enormous pleasure to see at first-hand some of these improvements. The improvements range from new visitor centres and vantage points to renovations, improved accessibility and cutting-edge displays—all delivered without detracting from how special the original buildings are.

Cadw continues in its efforts to enhance, expand and introduce new schemes and initiatives in order to generate interest among the people of Wales in our history and encouraging them to enjoy and make the most of our monuments. One example of this is free, educational visits to Cadw sites. There is no better way to enthuse and captivate young people than by seeing their history and heritage coming to life. It is important that we encourage future generations to have an interest in our legacy, because, after all, they will be the guardians of our heritage in the future. We are also pleased to say that foster children and the families who care for them can visit all historic monuments in Cadw’s care free of charge, through the partnership with Action for Children.

The timebanking scheme is also very important partnership that enables volunteers who have registered for timebanking programmes, and who work in support of their local communities, to spend credits earned through time given on visits to all monuments in Cadw’s care. We are also running the Cadw rewards scheme, namely supported visits that are offered free of charge to organisations that work with families and individuals with complex needs.

And I'm very proud of the new Cadw monument pass, which will offer holders repeated access to a site. The pass is part of the action being undertaken to cater for every taste. We continue to offer free access to disabled visitors and their carers, children under five, and visitors who attend Open Doors events. 

Once again this year, there was free access to all Cadw sites on 1 March in celebration of St David’s Day, including popular sites such as Caernarfon, Caerphilly and Kidwelly castles—although it was more of a challenge this year because of the snow.

In addition to introducing schemes to widen access to heritage sites, investment has also been made to improve physical access at a number of Cadw sites. Over recent years, bridges have been installed at Caernarfon and Harlech castles, both of which are part of a world heritage site. These offer an alternative means to access the entrance of both castles, as opposed to the staircase, and they improve accessibility to the sites. More recently, a new lift has been installed at Criccieth castle, which provides more visitors with the opportunity to view the interpretation and exhibitions at the new visitor centre.

Of course, providing visitors with an opportunity to understand and learn about the buildings and their historic legacy is just as important as increasing the opportunities available to visit them. Cadw does this by interpreting history through the form of compelling storytelling, which is presented in an imaginative way.

Our aim is to provide more interactive opportunities to visitors. The new interpretation at Beaumaris castle, for example, delivers a digital tour with pictures, text and audio in the form of an app. At the Criccieth castle visitor centre, there are audio-visual films with sound and bilingual subtitles, and interactive hands-on activities. There is a re-enactment film on display featuring CGI images, which is shown at the visitor centre, and a digital points of interest tour delivered through the Cadw app, which is available to all, including those who may not be able to access the most difficult parts of the castle themselves.

Cadw’s compelling events programme also attracts some people who ordinarily might not choose to visit historic sites. Cadw runs more than 500 events and days out across Wales, including large re-enactment events, art exhibitions, outdoor cinema showings and live performances, including theatre and rock bands. As part of these events, it was a pleasure to meet the Man Engine recently at Blaenavon historical ironworks.

It’s also worth noting that the Live the Legends 2017 campaign by Cadw has exceeded the record-breaking success seen in 2016, by attracting more than 132,000 visitors to meet the dragons on their tour of Wales. Every September, as part of the Open Doors programme, hundreds of venues, including those that are normally closed, open their doors to the public free of charge. During 2017, this featured 344 venues welcoming over 44,000 visitors. 

Cadw also has a good track record of working with partners to deliver events that bring our history alive for communities. That relationship will continue, and will be built upon with the National Trust and the members of the Historic Wales strategic partnership, including sharing best practices on digital developments, membership, catering and retail.

We are fortunate in Wales that we have such a rich history and heritage, and despite the good work that’s going on, we have to continue to encourage yet more people to enjoy, understand and learn about our history and the monuments. Thank you very much.