1. Will the Minister provide an update on how the work of the National Museums and Galleries of Wales brings benefits to Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney? OAQ53715

Amgueddfa Cymru, the National Museum, opens its doors freely at its seven sites throughout Wales. It leads the sector in reaching out and engaging with socially diverse audiences across Wales, and I am fully aware, having been schooled by Professor Gwyn Alf Williams, that everything of value in the industrial revolution and radical politics in Wales began in Merthyr. [Laughter.]

And it absolutely did, Minister, so thank you for that. And could I, just while I'm on my feet, just take the opportunity to thank you for being in Merthyr Tydfil recently to start the half marathon and for the Welsh Government grant funding—

Did he finish it?

—that allowed it? He didn't run it, he just started it.

Minister, many of us will have noticed the success that was achieved recently by putting Dippy the Dinosaur on a tour of museums around the UK, and I'm sure our own national galleries and museums similarly have exhibits that could be put on display in venues across the south Wales Valleys and beyond. Indeed, there are many exhibits currently held in storage that could be used that way, so to what extent can you direct our national galleries and museums to bring their exhibits to the people, using local attractions like Cyfarthfa Castle or the Redhouse in Merthyr, for example, to hopefully generate additional visitors and much-needed trade? For example, the Trevithick train is held in the maritime museum in Swansea and not in its home in Merthyr Tydfil, and I'm sure the people of Merthyr Tydfil would like to see it brought to Merthyr now and again for people there locally to have a look at. So, would you agree that using suitably chosen exhibits could be another practical strand of activities in our Valleys strategies?

Well, the answer to that must be 'yes'. I'm always encouraging the national museums and galleries to ensure that all aspects of the national collection that can be displayed across the country are displayed in that way. We have centres such as Oriel y Parc in St Davids, or some of the libraries—most recently I was at Haverfordwest opening a new library where there's a special relationship with the national museum and galleries, and, of course, the Welsh Government itself did invest, under the Sharing Treasures scheme, in Cyfarthfa Castle and I'm very interested in ensuring that we spend more on the various funds that we have—the capital funding through the transformation fund, for example, operated by my department—to make it possible to bring the various spaces in which we hold exhibitions to the right standard.

As regards the engine, I will—[Interruption.] As regards the engine, I will discuss with the National Museum directly because I am obsessed, as you know, with the history of steam and coal and the development of railways in Wales. I will discuss with the National Museum in what way we might be able to help you on this. Now, whether it's transferring the engine regularly or transferring it on a longer term relationship—.

Minister, can I commend you for trying to get as much of the national collection out there and seen as possible? Too much of it is held in storage and we should remember that these items are there to be seen and that is why they're in the collection in the first place. Will you join me in commending Dawn Bowden's work to promote knowledge of Merthyr's Jewish community, established in 1848, and most magnificently seen in the Gothic revival style synagogue, which was built in 1877? That synagogue's future is still in question, and I wonder if you would ask the National Museum to look at the new initiative that's been called—that is called, rather—the Historic Synagogues of Europe project, which is looking at industrial communities and other areas where there was a large Jewish population and ensuring that these historic treasures are preserved.

I'm very grateful to you for your support on our activity. I have a particular interest, of course, because of my own background and my own practice, in the history of all faith communities and particularly the role of the Jewish community in the development of Wales, the development of business and capitalism and investment within Wales, especially in key periods of the industrial revolution, and I will certainly make sure that I discuss this. There has been an initiative, and I have attended some meetings of faith groups specifically looking at the use of faith buildings for the conservation purposes that will then lead to them having a current value, and it seems to me that the key here, as always, is monuments are not there to be monuments. They're there to be used currently in order to interpret what happened there in the past.