FIRST MINISTER Vaughan Gething defended the Welsh Government's cuts to Wales' national museums at his press conference.

Speaking at Coleg Gwent in Ebbw Vale on Monday morning, Mr Gething did not offer any direct help to Museum Wales. 

There are six museums across Wales all under the Museum Wales banner, including Big Pit Coal Museum in Blaenavon and the Roman Museum in Caerleon. 

Mr Gething said the government was being forced to make "difficult choices" in which services to support, with the NHS having been made a priority in the last decade. 

Mr Gething added: "When we set out in our budget our priorities that we would prioritise health and social care and local government, that meant that there were much more difficult choices to make across the range of government.

"If the NHS is really is our priority and we're going to invest in it, you can't have that consequence free for every other area of public life."

He said it "really does highlight the need to have a different settlement at a UK level".

The Welsh Government has been forced to make further cuts to other services while trying to support the NHS and Transport for Wales. 

The UK government provides most of the Welsh government's funding - Welsh government often says it does not receive enough to provide the services it funds.

Mr Gething added: "I'd like to see a future where the National Museum in Cardiff is able to do the work required on the building and deliver an excellent service. 

"We need to think about how the whole national museum has an offer, that is understood, that people know about, and that people take advantage of.

"We can and should still have ambition for what our national museum and galleries can provide."

Museum Wales have been contacted for comment.