5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s commemorative programme in relation to the anniversary of the end of the first world war? OAQ52667

As we near the end of the first world war centenary, the focus of commemoration will inevitably be the armistice. We will join the other UK nations in marking the centenary with a national service of thanksgiving on 11 November. That service will be held at Llandaff cathedral.

Thank you for that answer, First Minister. As you will know, people across Wales have been coming together over the past four years to mark the centenary of the events of the first world war, and I want to pay tribute to your Government for its Cymru'n Cofio Wales Remembers programme, which I think has been exceptionally good and has helped to focus the attention of the nation on what are very important events in our history. That programme, of course, will come to an end as a result of the end of the first world war. What work are you doing to ensure that the legacy of that programme can continue and will you consider extending the opportunity to run, in particular, the website, which has been a very useful portal for commemoration of military events, well into the future and beyond the end of this centenary year?

I can confirm that, last year, I agreed to continue the programme until 2020. The armistice was not the end, of course. We know that the Paris peace conference came and then the Treaty of Versailles, which led to the second world war, but there's a limit to how far we can go in terms of dealing with the legacy of the first world war. It's significant to Wales, of course, because there were two Welshmen involved—David Lloyd George and Billy Hughes. It is said they spoke Welsh to each other. I'm not quite sure, because Billy Hughes was brought up in London of Welsh parentage, I believe. But, anyway, it's hugely important because if young people are to understand the legacy of the first world war, then the legacy of the peace is clearly an important part of that, and how to get it wrong in terms of a peace treaty and how to create problems for the future. So, it will go to 2020. I can assure the Member that we are now considering the legacy of the programme, how the resources that have been developed can be used in the future, and how we avoid a situation where it comes to an end in 2020 and everything's forgotten. That's the last thing we want to see.