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The Cabinet Secretary made the announcement on a visit to the Cardiff International White Water Centre, where South Wales Fire and Rescue Service personnel were undertaking water rescue training and gave a demonstration of rescues from vehicles in water, inflatable sled rescues and swift water boat rescues. 

Whilst Fire and Rescue Authorities already respond to flooding and inland water rescue incidents using their existing general powers and resources, they are not required to do so. The Cabinet Secretary has therefore signed an Order which will create a statutory duty on the three Fire and Rescue Authorities in Wales to respond to such incidents. 

To support the introduction of the new duty, funding has been made available to replace ageing flooding and water rescue equipment, and to purchase a second high volume pump in North Wales. 

The Cabinet Secretary said,

“The demonstration of water rescue skills here today clearly shows the dedication and professionalism of our firefighters. As a result of their excellent work, we have been hugely successful in reducing the risk of fire in Wales. 

“Flooding can be just as hazardous as fire, and more wide-ranging. It can devastate whole communities, threaten widespread casualties, and destroy property and the environment.  We need to be sure that our fire services will be ready to respond – and our firefighters need to know what is expected of them. This is why I have created a new duty on our fire and rescue services to respond to flooding or water rescue incidents which pose a direct threat of death or injury. 

“They also need the equipment to do this safely and effectively. I am therefore also pleased to announce an extra £1.8 million over this financial year and the next, to enhance and update the boats, pumps and protective gear that our fire services need.” 

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s Chief Fire Officer, Huw Jakeway said:

“It was a pleasure to welcome the Cabinet Secretary to Cardiff International White Water and for him to see our dedicated crews in action, as part of their ongoing training programme when it comes to water rescues. For us as Fire and Rescue Services in Wales, keeping our communities and firefighters safe in and around the water has always been a priority and the new funding for equipment, over the next two financial years, will enable us to continue to serve our communities to the highest standard.”

The Ministerial Taskforce for the South Wales Valleys has been holding a series of public meetings across the region to seek the views of communities about priorities for their local areas and this week the taskforce are meeting at the Cynon Valley Indoor Bowls Centre in Mountain Ash.

Speaking ahead of the meeting Alun Davies said: 

“Understanding and awareness of the work of the taskforce is growing and the engagement sessions we’ve held to date have been invaluable in helping to shape our priorities. It is vital we continue to work with and listen to communities and ensure we keep this momentum going. 

“From the discussions we’ve had with the public so far, some key themes have emerged. These include the importance of linking businesses with local schools to give young people the confidence and skills they need to enter into the world of work and the importance of linking infrastructure like industrial sites, schools, colleges and transport initiatives together, ensuring true connectivity for the valleys. 

“I would urge anyone who feels passionately about where they live to engage with the work of the taskforce and have their say. We’re here to listen and your views will help shape our shared vision for the valleys.”

The taskforce was set up by the Welsh Government in July and aims to build on work previously undertaken across the South Wales Valleys in a more coordinated and targeted way to meet the needs of valley communities.

To learn more about the work of the taskforce or to sign up to attend one of the public meetings, please visit the Facebook page.

The decision comes off the back of a positive independent evaluation of the model commissioned by the Emergency Ambulance Services Committee (EASC).

The clinical response model, announced in summer 2015, moves away from historic time-based targets for all but the most immediately life-threatening or ‘Red’ calls. It places a greater focus on patient outcomes, prioritising those in most need of an urgent response. 

The target is for 65 per cent of the most urgent ‘Red calls’ to be responded to in eight minutes. The 65% target has been achieved each month since the trial started in October 2015; performance has continued to improve and in each of the last 9 months, more than 75% of red calls have received an emergency response within eight minutes. 

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said: 

“Since the implementation of the new clinical response pilot, the Welsh Ambulance Service has improved its performance significantly.

“The independent evaluation published today backs our decision to take the bold step to adopt the new model, following the successful pilot. The fact they found there to be clear and universal acknowledgement, both from within the ambulance service and external partners, that moving to the new model was appropriate and the right thing to do, is excellent news.

“I also welcome that the report confirms response time performance for those in most need of an immediate clinical intervention has improved substantially. The latest ambulance statistics confirm this with a standard response time of less than five minutes to immediately life-threatening calls in each of the last six months. 

“I’d like to thank Welsh Ambulance Service, the ambulance service call handlers, clinicians, volunteers and other staff for their hard work in making the model the success it has been.

“It’s fantastic that the pilot has attracted global interest and the Welsh ambulance service  has not only been invited to provide advice to a number of ambulance services in England and Scotland, but further afield to Canada, New Zealand, Australia, USA and Chile. The Scottish Ambulance Services Trust is currently undertaking a nationwide pilot of a very similar model to our own.

“It is crucial that we now grasp the opportunity and continue to lead the way internationally in this important area for the benefit of the people of Wales.”

First Minister Carwyn Jones is launching the inaugural ‘Wales in London’ week in London this morning. He will make a keynote speech promoting Wales as a key investment location at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) headquarters in Parliament Square.

The First Minister will also host a St David’s Day reception at Lancaster House to engage with London-based foreign diplomats and businesses with an interest in Wales.

On Tuesday, the First Minister is travelling to Washington and New York to meet with companies looking to invest in Wales and will discuss trade and business links with political representatives.

While in New York, the First Minister will host a reception to mark the launch of a new £5 million international tourism campaign. The 2017 Year of Legends campaign will show Wales is a country rich in history, storytelling and creativity.

Meanwhile, Finance and Local Government Secretary Mark Drakeford will be celebrating St David’s day in Brussels, where he will be hosting the annual evening reception at the British Residence. 

Mark Drakeford will also hold a series of meetings with representatives from European Institutions and the UK’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Sir Tim Barrow, to discuss Wales’ priorities as Britain prepares to leave the EU.

Environment and Rural Affairs Secretary, Lesley Griffiths, is travelling to the United Arab Emirates this week to promote Wales’ thriving food and drink industry. During her trip, Lesley Griffiths will join twenty five Welsh food and drink producers at Gulfood, the world’s largest food trade event, and hear about plans for the next World Expo, taking place in Dubai 2020.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said:

“St David’s Day 2017 marks a step-change in our ambition to promote Wales to the world like never before.

“During these times of great change, there is a need for us to work even harder to raise Wales’ international profile and performance. In recent years we have seen record inward investment to Wales; record tourism figures – including an increase of 12% over the last twelve months alone – while our products are now exported across the globe. We are, therefore, well placed to take on the challenge.

“This week, my Cabinet and I will celebrate our national day by promoting Wales around the world and celebrating everything we have to offer. We will use every opportunity to showcase our unique culture, history and language – and demonstrate that Wales is a great place to visit and do business.”

The significant funding will pay for infrastructure improvements at Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital, creating more capacity to deal with peaks in demand while improving the environment for patients, staff and visitors alike.

The funding is for the period 2017-18 and 2019-20 and it is envisaged that work will start in March 2017. The investment will fund: 

• A single point of entry to the department 
• Three triage rooms
• A four bay resuscitation area plus a separate isolation bay with external access
• Eight cubicles plus two treatment rooms
• Eight chairs in minor injuries
• An assessment unit including relatives’ waiting room
• Paediatrics facilities including three assessment rooms and dedicated waiting rooms.

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said:

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to announce this capital money for Ysbyty Gwynedd, it’ll make a real difference to patients accessing emergency and urgent care in North West Wales. 

“What is particularly exciting about this new development is the “One Door” approach to medical care, where emergency and urgent care patients will enter through a single point to get the most appropriate care based on their clinical need. This allows them to be treated and discharged or referred on to other specialist services within the hospital or community setting as quickly as possible.

“Once again this is the Welsh Government investing the future of our NHS in Wales.”

Gary Doherty, Chief Executive at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said:

“We’re absolutely delighted that Welsh Government has approved the £13.89m funding required to redevelop the Emergency Department at Ysbyty Gwynedd.

“The current department is too small and is not designed to meet the requirements of modern clinical practice. This major scheme will provide state of the art accommodation for the 52,000 patients who use the service each year and will help us transform medical and emergency care. 

“The Welsh Government’s commitment to this area will also provide a much needed boost to our dedicated and hard working staff and will help improve our recruitment potential.”