Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that public heritage bodies reflect and respect (a) cultural and (b) national differences when (i) promoting and (ii) interpreting historic sites in Cornwall.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This government recognises the importance of respecting and recognising cultural and national differences and ensuring that the heritage that reflects this is celebrated.
Historic England, as the government's advisor, partners closely with Cornwall Council. They are part of Bord Ertach Kernow, helping shape and deliver Cornwall's Historic Environment Strategy, and part-funded the Distinctiveness Study highlighting Cornish culture's role in local heritage. They are also actively involved in groups promoting Cornish language use and cultural engagement.
Since 1994, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has invested over £134 million in 848 Cornish projects, including the £2.4 million Tamar Landscape Partnership. These projects celebrate Cornwall's unique culture and history, and the Heritage Fund specifically supports the use and translation of Cornish language in project materials.
English Heritage Trust actively incorporates the Cornish language at its sites in Cornwall, following Council guidance for signage, interpretation, and educational resources, thereby supporting the language's preservation and awareness.