Diolch, Llywydd. I'm certainly very grateful to Paul Davies for instigating this debate today about the importance of protecting our memorials. I know he's raised this matter in the Senedd on several occasions and feels passionately about it, and I agree that Wales's memorials are important parts of our heritage. I don't think there's anyone who can deny the emotional power of these monuments, and their importance both to local communities and in the bigger picture of our national history.

A few weeks ago, I visited Llangollen Railway, and while I was there I had a very poignant experience. In the underpass at Berwyn station, I saw handwritten graffiti on the walls, left there by soldiers departing for the front in world war one. Some never came back, and their names are listed on the war memorial in the town. But seeing those messages and signatures is a powerful reminder of the terrible sacrifices that were made—sacrifices so great that we must never forget. All war is terrible, but there is something particularly horrific about the carnage of the first world war, where 35,000 Welsh men were killed. That drives home to us the need to remember.

Between 2014 and 2019, the Cymru'n Cofio Wales Remembers initiative provided an opportunity for us to work with organisations and individuals, throughout Wales and internationally, to commemorate and reflect on the impact of war. Through that initiative, the Welsh Government and its partners supported a great number of activities, commemorative events, cultural and educational programmes, as well as conservation of war memorials and other historic sites associated with the war. Projects included the renovation of Yr Ysgwrn, the home of Hedd Wyn, where £2.8 million of National Lottery money has created a cultural centre that will ensure an enduring public awareness of the significance of the war. We also supported the creation of new war memorials: the Welsh memorial park at Langemark, and, in November 2019, a new memorial unveiled in Alexandra Gardens here in Cardiff, near to our national memorial, to recognise the outstanding contribution of men and women from diverse ethnic and commonwealth communities. Partnership working was the key to the success of Cymru'n Cofio Wales Remembers, and, in my view, it should remain at the heart of how we work going forward. I'm grateful to all of those who engaged in the initiative and continue to do such important work on our behalf to keep alive the memory of the sacrifices of those who fought for us.

The Welsh Government has always acknowledged the importance of war memorials as visible and poignant pieces of heritage, and focal points for commemoration for communities and families. They are both a physical record of those who died for their country and a visual reminder of the impact of war. Many war memorials are also important to our architectural and artistic heritage. After the first world war, the raising of so many new memorials across the United Kingdom was, in effect, a unique public art project, which helped local communities experiencing a heartbreaking mix of emotions from sorrow to relief at the victory. The impact of war has been so widespread that it has resulted in an extraordinary number of commemorative war memorials—over 90,000 across the United Kingdom and over 3,700 here in Wales, ranging from town memorials designed by leading artists to small village plaques.