Wales as a nation has emerged from a shared cultural inheritance over thousands of years. However, at the end of the twentieth century our nation came of age with the devolution settlement and once again it now has law-making powers. It was fitting that one of the first pieces of legislation that was passed by the National Assembly for Wales was for the better protection of the historic environment. As a consequence of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016, many observers, both inside and outside Wales, have hailed us for now having the most progressive legislation for the protection and management of the historic environment anywhere in the United Kingdom. This is important. The historic environment is the physical manifestation of Wales’ cultural heritage; a precious inheritance that we must care for and pass on to our children to love, cherish and enjoy.
Read more on this report here by Lord Elis-Thomas AM, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport.