A WELSH GOVERNMENT mapping platform is being used to help communities, councils and emergency responders access vital local information across Wales.

DataMapWales, supported by Ordnance Survey data, brings together more than 3,000 datasets in one place, covering everything from public toilets and EV charging points to speed limits, active travel routes and Welsh language place names.

The platform, which began more than a decade ago as an environmental tool, is now also being developed to support emergency planning and response.

Flood risk support

A new application called Jigso is being built to help Wales’ resilience community prepare for major incidents, including flooding, landslides and severe weather.

With climate change expected to bring more frequent flooding, the system is designed to help emergency services and local authorities identify affected areas more quickly.

The majority of emergency services, responder agencies and resilience organisations across Wales have already signed up to the application.

Jigso uses property-level data to help agencies identify vulnerable households and those most in need of help during an emergency.

The system was used during flooding in Monmouthshire last year to calculate the number of vulnerable households affected, helping emergency services respond more quickly.

Planning and public information

DataMapWales also supports local authorities with planning and decision-making, including active travel schemes, carbon modelling, land-use changes and deprivation mapping.

The website hosts around 600 open datasets which can be accessed directly by the public.

Dave Roberts, Head of Geography at the Welsh Government, said: “DataMapWales is constantly evolving. Looking after a smaller country, we are able to work in a very agile way in terms of what we are delivering and how the portal is used.

“Ordnance Survey data provides the backbone of DataMapWales and is key to the success and effectiveness of the platform.”

Pam Whitham, Customer Development Manager at Ordnance Survey, said: “We have had a very close relationship with the Welsh Government for many years and are delighted that it continues to use OS data extensively, particularly in DataMapWales.

“This is a fantastic portal where public sector and service providers across the country are able to access trusted and authoritative data to support their routine and critical services.”

MENTAL HEALTH support has become a key issue for businesses in Wales as employers face growing pressure to help staff manage financial strain, stress and wellbeing at work.

The issue is being highlighted during Mental Health Awareness Week, with new insight from Reed showing that support for employee wellbeing is now an important part of attracting and retaining staff.

Workers in Wales said they need an annual income of £42,000 to live comfortably, compared with an average regional salary of £36,000. That leaves a “comfort gap” of £6,000.

Reed’s latest salary guides also show that 71% of workers say pay has become more important since the cost-of-living crisis, with many employees feeling the pressure of rising everyday costs.

The strain is not only financial. Separate research shows almost one in four workers in Wales, 24%, say they have previously been formally diagnosed with a mental health condition — the highest reported proportion of any UK region.

Pay alone ‘not enough’

Becky Hole, Regional Director at Reed, said employers now needed to look beyond salary alone.

She said: “In Wales, financial pressure and mental health challenges are closely linked. Our data shows that many employees are placing greater importance on stability and support, particularly where salary growth is constrained.

“This means benefits that support work-life balance and mental wellbeing are becoming a much more important part of how valued people feel at work.

“Organisations that prioritise employee wellbeing also benefit in tangible ways. By providing stronger support for mental health, employers can lower staff turnover and reduce the long-term costs linked to ongoing recruitment and the loss of skilled, experienced employees.”

What workers want

WHEN asked what would help them manage stress, 35% of workers in Wales said they wanted more flexible working, 34% wanted better mental health training for managers, and 30% wanted clearer communication about support already available.

However, Reed said there remains a gap between what workers want and what they receive.

The most common benefits currently reported by workers in Wales are onsite parking, at 28%, flexi time, at 26%, and hybrid working, at 23%. Nearly one in five workers, 18%, said they receive no benefits at all.

Ms Hole added: “What this shows is a disconnect between what employees say would most help them manage stress and how clearly mental health support is currently embedded and communicated.

“However, Wales stands out when it comes to flexi time, with a higher proportion of employers offering this benefit compared to other regions — a positive step given its proven role in supporting employee wellbeing and work-life balance.

“Flexible working, open conversations about mental health and managers who are properly trained all come through strongly as priorities.

“Employers have a responsibility to look after their people, and those who want to help their workforce truly destress need to ensure their benefits are visible, accessible and actively support everyday mental resilience.”

Reed said businesses that take wellbeing seriously are more likely to retain skills, stability and trust over the long term.

KING CHARLES has arrived at Parliament for the State Opening as Sir Keir Starmer faces the most serious crisis of his premiership.

The monarch and Queen Camilla travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, with the Imperial State Crown and Sword of State taken separately to Parliament ahead of the ceremony.

But the traditional pageantry has been overshadowed by growing questions over the Prime Minister’s future, following heavy Labour losses in last week’s elections and mounting unrest inside the party.

Unions turn on Starmer

The pressure intensified this morning when Labour’s 11 affiliated unions, including Unite, Unison, the GMB and Community, issued a joint statement saying it was now “clear” Sir Keir would not lead Labour into the next general election.

They said Labour had failed to deliver enough of the change working people voted for, despite some progress on employment rights and the minimum wage.

The intervention is significant because the unions remain among Labour’s most important financial and organisational backers.

Streeting meeting fuels speculation

Speculation over Sir Keir’s future intensified further after Health Secretary Wes Streeting made a brief visit to Downing Street on Wednesday morning.

Streeting, widely viewed as a potential leadership contender, was seen arriving at No 10 before leaving less than twenty minutes later — a meeting so short that Westminster insiders immediately began questioning its purpose.

The unusually brief talks triggered fresh rumours of behind-the-scenes discussions over the Prime Minister’s future, although allies of both men attempted to play down suggestions of an imminent leadership move.

Streeting has previously denied plotting against Sir Keir, but many Labour MPs now believe a challenge could come within days if the crisis deepens further.

More than eighty Labour MPs are reported to have called for Sir Keir to stand down, although no rival has yet secured the numbers needed to trigger a formal contest.

For now, Sir Keir is refusing to resign and insists he will continue governing. But with ministerial resignations, a bruising election result, and the unions now openly discussing a future leadership change, the Prime Minister’s position looks increasingly fragile.

The King’s Speech is expected to set out the Government’s legislative programme for the new parliamentary session, including plans on the economy, immigration, energy costs and closer ties with the EU.

The State Opening, one of the most ceremonial events in the parliamentary calendar, began with the traditional search of the Palace of Westminster by the Yeomen of the Guard — a ritual dating back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Sir Keir left No 10 with his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer, shortly before the ceremony.

MPs will later debate the King’s Speech in the Commons, where opposition parties are expected to use the occasion to test the Prime Minister’s authority.