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Jack Sargeant, Welsh Government Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership, has announced the formation of a working group to review the relationship between Cadw and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW).
RCAHMW writes:
This follows the recommendation in the December 2023 review of Cadw’s governance arrangements, which recommended that ‘a review of the relationship between Cadw and the RCAHMW, if acceptable to all parties, should be undertaken by both organisations working together.’
The then Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice formally accepted this recommendation on 12 June 2024, stating that: ‘both organisations need to look closely at their functions and responsibilities and identify synergies and different ways of delivering. All options need to be considered, from more closely aligning work programmes to full amalgamation, as has happened to similar organisations in England and Scotland’.
In a written update https://www.gov.wales/written-statement-update-response-review-cadws-governance-arrangements Jack Sargeant informed the Senedd that: ‘significant progress is being made in responding to the recommendation to review the relationship between Cadw and the Royal Commission.’
He went on to say that: ‘Cadw and the Royal Commission are working through social partnership to lead this review. Their respective Chairs and Chief Executives sit on a working group alongside trades union representatives from both organisations, an independent external heritage expert and other senior officials from Welsh Government. Over the coming weeks, discussions will take place with staff and stakeholders on a range of options for the future relationship between Cadw and the Royal Commission and I look forward to receiving a report from the working group.’
Carole Souter, CBE, has been appointed as the independent external heritage expert. One of Carole’s roles will be to undertake extensive stakeholder consultation. Carole led the Heritage Lottery Fund (now the National Lottery Heritage Fund) as Chief Executive from 2003–2016, and she served from 2016–2022 as Master of St Cross College, a graduate college at the University of Oxford. She now chairs the Heritage Alliance.
The working group aims to deliver its recommendations to the Minster early in 2025.
