Speeches by Frith.

“Beautiful.”

“Camilla, I am thinking about the churches that you are involved with. I have visited churches that are asking for support and repairs for roofs to give them capacity or sustainability. Do you think some of the churches in line and bidding for funding should really not be considered?”

“It could be the new Pulp album as well, couldn’t it, really?”

“Capacity is a huge issue, isn’t it?”

“Good morning and thanks for coming. That is a lovely quote: “When love and skill come together, expect a masterpiece”. Forgive my ignorance, who is that, or is that you?”

“You mentioned the Treasury Green Book. Do you hope that the reforms announced at last week’s spending review might improve the chances outside London and the south-east for such projects that you are involved in?”

“Ben, let me just remind you of the question. After a heritage asset has been severely damaged, what value can it still provide?”

“Thank you, and I will ask the same question for the others: what makes the difference between successful and not successful?”

“Camilla, let me start with you next, but this question is for all of you. How does the way funding is distributed to you impact how you manage restoration projects? Camilla, you mentioned in your opening remarks the time you get. That is such a curious rule—to be handed the money but then the clock is started on spendi…”

“As they set out to do a new application, are some people, just by lack of experience, making unforced errors that they might have otherwise been able to step over had they had mentor support or capacity elsewhere?”

“Because of the sustainability point.”

“Other than the King’s Award, which is hard to get.”

“So perhaps there should be a sort of recognition of prior successes or qualifications of some sort—beyond academic but in terms of their involvement before. You could come at a new project and not be recognised as having had success elsewhere or having specialist knowledge.”

“Sorry, to cut in on that point. As I understand it, the lottery fund has some examples of funding exploratory projects to see whether they would or could qualify, like a pre-application.”

“More balance—how do you mean?”

“To Vanessa’s point about saying no or that this will not work at the outset, are too many people bidding for things that should just not be considered?”

“Camilla, I am thinking about the churches that you are involved with. I have visited churches that are asking for support and repairs for roofs to give them capacity or sustainability. Do you think some of the churches in line and bidding for funding should really not be considered?”

“Because of the sustainability point.”

“In politics, it is quite welcome to hear somebody being so certain of the need to say no at times. I have found myself in meetings with churches thinking that in the event there was a quarter of a million pounds available to this area of the town, it would be roads not roofs that the constituents would want improving—s…”

“You will know that young people care a lot about the environment, don’t they? Is there a risk that that becomes an obstacle for younger people to enjoy the heritage, because they care more about the environment and they do not see a consistency with the sector and their care for environment?”