The Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee inquiry into thegeneral principles of the Historic Environment (Wales) Bill.

The Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales is the independent strategic body for museums and art galleries in Wales. We advocate for the highest standards of museum provision throughout Wales.

The Federation has followed the development of the above Bill from its early beginnings as the Heritage Bill. We were encouraged at the early stages to hear directly from various Government Ministers that the Bill would include reference to the portable heritage of Wales (and thus protect the value of museums and their collections). We were somewhat dismayed when the Bill became solely focussed on the Historic Environment (as valuable as the proposals in the Bill are). We do not wish to comment directly on the content of the current Bill but sincerely hope that the committee will be able to put pressure on the Welsh Government in the future to reconsider the original objectives of the Heritage Bill as it relates to the protection and promotion of the wider heritage of Wales.