Dawn Bowden MS, Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
In December 2022, I announced Roger Lewis would lead a task and finish group to consider Cadw’s current governance arrangements and the wider provision of public heritage services across Wales.
The context for the review was the decision in 2017 for Cadw to remain within the Welsh Government as an internal agency. As part of that decision, Cadw would benefit from increased operational and commercial freedoms enabling it to function more effectively and efficiently in delivering its wide range of roles and responsibilities.
It was the intention to assess the success of these arrangements after five years. I am today publishing the independent review of Cadw’s governance arrangements.
The review endorses the decision made in 2017 that Cadw is best served by remaining in Government but identifies a number of recommendations that will enhance Cadw’s performance. The recommendations range in scope and include several that are intended to help clarify the role of the Cadw Board and the ways in which government procedures might be adapted to allow Cadw to operate even more effectively. Several recommendations make suggestions on how the ways in which Cadw works with its partners can be reinforced and others consider how some of Cadw’s wide-ranging activities can be enhanced to assist its core purpose.
I want to thank Roger Lewis and all the members of the task and finish group who gave up their time and expertise to undertake this review. I am particularly grateful for the active engagement and consultation with Cadw staff and with Cadw’s many stakeholders. This has clearly helped inform the report and the 29 wide-ranging recommendations.
I will take time to consider the report in detail and respond to the recommendations before publishing a response in early 2024.