Commentary on Sections Part 6 — Other heritage assets and records Section 196 — Guidance to certain public bodies about historic environment records
700.Section 196 requires the Welsh Ministers to issue guidance to local authorities, National Park authorities and Natural Resources Wales on how they may contribute to the compilation and maintenance of the historic environment records and on the use of the historic environment records in the exercise of their functions. The guidance at the time of writing these notes, Historic Environment Records in Wales: Compilation and Use (2017), is available on the website of Cadw.
701.Local authorities, National Park authorities and Natural Resources Wales must have regard to this guidance. These public bodies have important roles in the management and conservation of the historic environment and in the way it is promoted, accessed and appreciated by the public. Their success depend on access to good-quality, authoritative information about the historic environment, such as that provided by the historic environment records.