THIRTEEN volunteer crew members at Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Angle Lifeboat Station have successfully completed a demanding week of assessments, marking the culmination of months of training and preparation.

The pass-outs strengthen the station’s operational capability and ensure the all-weather lifeboat remains fully crewed and ready to respond to emergencies across the Milford Haven Waterway and the wider Pembrokeshire coast.

Three crew members – Anthony Thomas, Gareth Thomas and Nathen Houston – qualified as All-weather Lifeboat (ALB) Navigators after completing a four-hour practical and theory assessment.

Their test covered a range of search and rescue scenarios, including simulated taskings, radar work, position fixing and traditional paper chart navigation – all skills vital during poor visibility and challenging sea conditions.

A further ten volunteers – Phil Jones, Tom Meehan, Nick Gale, Rob Davies, Finn Frost, James Findlay, Allen Price, Seymore Phillips, Graham Booth and Matt Nicholas – passed their Tier 2 ALB Crew assessments.

The qualification tests every aspect of lifeboat operations, from man overboard recovery and towing to mooring, berthing, helming and anchoring. Candidates were put through their paces by an RNLI assessor in realistic scenarios designed to mirror live shouts.

Station representatives said the results reflect the commitment and professionalism of the volunteer crew, many of whom balance training with full-time jobs and family life.

The latest qualifications come as the Angle crew continue to play a crucial role in rescues around Milford Haven and the south Pembrokeshire coastline, one of the busiest and most complex maritime areas in Wales.

A spokesperson said the achievements “demonstrate the dedication of our volunteers and the continued strength of lifeboat operations from the town of Milford Haven.”

With 13 newly qualified crew now ready to serve, the station is better equipped than ever to respond when the pager sounds.

A NEW tax on long-vacant plots of land could be introduced in Wales in a bid to force stalled housing sites back into use and speed up housebuilding, ministers have confirmed.

The Welsh Government and the UK government are preparing a joint consultation on devolving powers that would allow Wales to create a vacant land tax targeting sites that have planning permission but remain undeveloped.

Ministers say the move is aimed squarely at discouraging “land banking” — where land is bought and held in the hope its value will rise, rather than being built on — a practice they argue is worsening the housing shortage.

Research commissioned by the Welsh Government previously identified 456 “stalled” sites across Wales, including 376 earmarked for homes, that have failed to progress.

Finance secretary Mark Drakeford said the proposals were about behaviour, not revenue.

“This is not about raising money but changing behaviour and getting more houses built,” he said. “A tax on land that has been designated for development but has not yet been developed could encourage building within expected timescales.”

The powers would first need to be transferred from Westminster before any levy could be introduced by the Senedd Cymru.

Consultation expected

At Westminster, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens told MPs the change would have a “positive and tangible” impact.

She said: “There are pockets of land being held for ever and ever and we need to bring them back into use.”

Officials have indicated the consultation will be launched soon, though it is not expected before the next Senedd election.

Any new tax would require approval from both Houses of Parliament and the Senedd before coming into force.

Political divide

The plans come as housing supply remains a major political battleground ahead of the election, with Plaid Cymru and other opposition parties pressing Labour to go further on devolution and regeneration powers.

First Minister Eluned Morgan has previously called for additional powers and funding from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying Wales needs more tools to tackle housing and infrastructure challenges.

Plaid Cymru has welcomed the consultation, though it argues Wales should also gain control over areas such as rail and the Crown Estate.

Stevens rejected calls to devolve the Crown Estate, warning it could disrupt investment and delay offshore energy projects.

Opposition scepticism

Welsh Conservatives questioned whether the proposals would deliver real change.

Shadow finance spokesman Sam Rowlands said ministers must provide clear data and timescales.

“If this is truly about building more homes rather than raising revenue, ministers should be upfront with the Welsh public about the impact,” he said. “Warm words are not enough.”

Ministers insist the aim is to encourage regeneration, prevent dereliction and unlock brownfield land for affordable homes — particularly in towns where unused plots have remained empty for years.

If approved, Wales would join a growing number of governments looking at fiscal measures to push developers to build sooner rather than later.

The proposal is not new. The Welsh Government first identified a vacant land tax as a priority back in 2018, when ministers began formally requesting powers from Westminster to introduce it. Research published by Senedd Cymru shows those discussions dragged on for years, with talks repeatedly stalling as the UK Treasury sought further evidence and clarification, leaving the plans effectively at an impasse. At one stage ministers said six years had passed with little progress. The latest joint consultation therefore marks the first real movement in nearly a decade — and could finally unlock a policy long promised as a way to bring derelict and unused sites back into productive use across Wales.

COMMUNITY pharmacies across Wales are being forced to sell some medicines at a loss because of an outdated NHS funding system that no longer reflects real-world costs, owners have warned.

Under current rules, pharmacists must dispense prescriptions at prices set nationally, even when those prices are lower than what they paid wholesalers — leaving them out of pocket on everyday items such as aspirin.

The situation has led to mounting debts, emergency loans and, in some cases, owners remortgaging their homes simply to keep their doors open.

Figures from the National Pharmacy Association suggest four in ten Welsh pharmacies were not profitable last year, with many described as “clinging on by their fingertips”.

Selling at a loss

Unlike normal retailers, pharmacies cannot set their own prices or refuse to stock products.

They are contracted to the NHS through the Welsh Government’s Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework, which fixes reimbursement rates for prescription medicines.

But wholesalers’ prices have risen sharply due to inflation, supply shortages and higher manufacturing costs.

That means the maths often no longer adds up.

In one example shared by pharmacists, a packet of 75mg aspirin costs £3.75 to buy but is reimbursed at just £3.05 — a loss of 70p each time it is dispensed.

Multiply that across hundreds of packs a month and dozens of other medicines, and small losses quickly turn into thousands of pounds.

One west Wales pharmacy owner told The Herald: “You wouldn’t run a corner shop selling bread for less than you paid for it. But that’s effectively what we’re told to do every day.”

‘Averaging out’ no longer works

The government’s model assumes that losses on some drugs will be balanced by profits on others.

But pharmacists say that system — once workable — has broken down.

Generic medicines that previously provided modest margins are now also rising in price, while reimbursement rates lag weeks or months behind market costs.

At the same time, running costs have surged.

Energy bills, staff wages, National Insurance contributions, fuel for deliveries and regulatory costs have all increased, while core NHS funding has remained largely flat in real terms for nearly a decade.

Owners say they are now busier than ever too, as GP surgeries redirect patients to pharmacies for minor ailments, vaccinations and clinical advice — work that takes time and staff but often brings little additional income.

Debt and closures

The result is growing financial pressure.

Some pharmacists report taking out short-term loans just to cover monthly payroll, while others have dipped into pensions or personal savings.

Across the UK, hundreds of community pharmacies have closed in recent years, with rural and small-town chemists particularly vulnerable.

Health campaigners warn that if closures continue, patients could lose easy access to prescriptions, advice and walk-in care — pushing more pressure back onto already stretched GP practices and hospitals.

Government response

The Welsh Government says it recognises pharmacies are an essential part of primary care and points to increased investment, including additional stability payments and grants for premises improvements.

A spokesperson said reimbursement prices are set using supplier data and that “while some medicines may be reimbursed below cost on occasions, this is offset by the profits pharmacies make on most of the medicines they dispense”.

But pharmacists argue that assumption no longer reflects reality.

A simple question

At the heart of the row is a basic principle.

If the NHS commissions a service, pharmacists say, it should at least cover the cost of providing it.

As one owner put it: “No business can survive by selling stock at a loss and hoping it balances out. Eventually the numbers catch up with you.”

Unless the funding formula changes, many fear more local chemists could disappear from Welsh high streets — and with them one of the most accessible parts of the health service.

Photo caption: Community pharmacies say fixed NHS prices are forcing them to dispense some medicines below cost (Pic: stock).