Terms of reference

The Task and Finish Group is being established at the request of the First Minister who has asked for an audit of historic monuments and memorials, street and building names across Wales that have an association with aspects of black history. He has also asked that the group overseeing the audit should identify and consider issues arising from the audit that might form the basis for a second stage of the project.

The task and finish group will oversee this audit by providing specialist advice in respect of:

• statues, memorials and other commemorative structures in public spaces in Wales that are associated with black history, including collecting information on their history, ownership and responsible bodies and whether or not they are designated
• street and public building names associated with black history
• identifying issues raised by these sites, names and buildings and the development of initial ideas for further work.

Although many of the entries in the audit are likely to be contentious, it is also recognised that there are a number of public works of art that celebrate the historical contribution of the black community to Welsh life.

The audit will be undertaken by a specialist project officer working with support from a small project team, including staff drawn from Cadw and other relevant bodies, and reporting to the task and finish group. The officer will liaise with Local Authorities and other organisations undertaking similar surveys.

The primary objective of the audit phase of the project is to collect and review the evidence for aspects of our historic environment associated with black history, and in particular of the role of the British Empire and the slave trade as it applies to Wales.  Therefore, the task and finish group will comprise individuals selected for their specialist knowledge of the Atlantic Slave Trade and the historical presence of black people in Wales.

Membership will comprise up to seven individuals and will include representation from:

• Academics specialising in the history of the slave trade and colonialisation
• Historic Wales Partnership 
• Welsh Local Government Association

The Group will be chaired by Gaynor Legall.

In order to broaden the consultation on the audit, the task and finish group will share a first draft with an external reference group, to be established in consultation with Equalities Division, and to include wide stakeholder representation including young people, local authorities and the Bevan Foundation.

The group will meet on four occasions:

• Meeting 1: to agree the remit and set out a programme of work – including   agreeing brief for audit 
• Meeting 2: to consider the first draft  audit and composition of the external reference group and consultation within Welsh Government, Special Advisors and Ministers
• Meeting 3: to consider comments following consultation
• Meeting 4: to agree the final report and make recommendations for a second phase of work for submission to Ministers 

Advice may be sought from individual members of the group at other times where specific queries arise during the course of carrying out the audit.

The Group will present the audit and an accompanying narrative report to the First Minister by the end of October 2020.

The report will be used to inform a second stage of the project that will identify appropriate responses to the information gathered by the audit.