News

Ministers ‘dodging accountability’ in new child poverty strategy, Senedd hears

Published

2 years ago

February 5, 2024

WELSH ministers are dodging accountability by refusing to include concrete targets and milestones in the new child poverty strategy, the Senedd heard.

MSs quizzed Jane Hutt as the social justice minister gave a statement about this week’s publication of the Welsh Government’s child poverty strategy.

Ms Hutt described the strategy as a cross-cutting, whole-of-government policy document that sets out priorities for meaningful action to tackle child poverty.

“Ending child poverty must be an absolute priority for governments at all levels,” she said.

The minister announced that the Welsh Government will be producing a monitoring and impact framework, which will be reviewed by Rod Hick, from Cardiff University.

Mark Isherwood pointed out that 28% of children were living in relative income poverty in 2022, arguing little progress has been made in reducing child poverty in the past decade.

The Conservative shadow minister said the strategy does not include measurable targets, instead using generic national milestones from the Future Generations Act.

Mr Isherwood highlighted calls from Barnardo’s Cymru and the children’s commissioner to ensure progress against the strategy can be transparently and regularly monitored.

He said: “It is the case, is it not, that the Welsh Government has a number of levers to tackle child poverty under its control, so why hasn’t it established real targets and milestones within the strategy, or is this just another case of Welsh Government dodging accountability?”

Highlighting Monday’s launch of a Welsh benefits charter, Ms Hutt raised the importance of maximising people’s incomes to addressing child poverty.

She said a compassionate, person-centred and streamlined benefits system is at the heart of the charter, which all 22 councils have signed up to.

She said: “We saw, in 10 years of Labour government, child poverty going down because of the ways in which we used tax and benefits.

“In thirteen years of austerity, it’s gone up.”

Sioned Williams, for Plaid Cymru, welcomed publication of a new child poverty strategy “at last” after years of pleading with the Welsh Government.

But she also raised concerns about Welsh ministers’ aversion to setting targets, describing a previous progress report as a “cut-and-paste job” which listed actions, not outcomes.

She said: “The Welsh Government is committed to tackling child poverty as an absolute priority, but the strategy doesn’t actually evidence that….

“I have no doubt, minister, that you want to see child poverty eradicated, as do we all here, but we need a clearer road map and signposts to know that we are nearing that goal.”

Jane Dodds, the Welsh Lib Dem leader, told the meeting on Tuesday January 23: “My plea to you is: if the things that you say are going to work, we have to do it urgently.

“And if you say they are going to work, then my question is: why not have targets?”

Ms Hutt said targets risk being overly simplistic, detracting from good government and the evidence of lived-experience poverty.

She said Prof Hick is a globally recognised expert on measuring poverty.

She added that a targets-based approach would not take into account all those who have responsibility for addressing child poverty, principally the UK Government.

Jayne Bryant, who chair’s the children’s committee, focused on care-experienced children as well as disabled children and young people who are more likely to be affected by poverty.

Jenny Rathbone welcomed the new strategy’s focus on children’s rights.

The Labour backbencher, who represents Cardiff Central, called for monitoring of the new benefits charter to show councils’ progress on increasing the uptake of eligible benefits.

Plaid Cymru’s Mabon ap Gwynfor called for an increase in the housing support grant in the Welsh Government’s 2024-25 draft budget.

The Dwyfor Meirionnydd MS said: “A third of the people in temporary accommodation currently are children, and they don’t get the same chances in life because of that.

“So, if we’re serious about tackling child poverty, we absolutely need to tackle housing.

Ms Hutt reiterated that the Welsh Government’s budget is worth £1.3bn less in real-terms than when it was set in the 2021 UK spending review.

Labour backbencher John Griffiths highlighted that the equality committee he chaired during the previous Senedd term recommended devolving the administration of benefits to Wales.

Ms Hutt said developing a coherent, streamlined Welsh benefits system is central to delivering the child poverty strategy.

She pointed out that the UK Government has rejected calls to assess the merits of devolving the administration of the same benefits to Wales as have been devolved to Scotland.

News

Major incident stood down after fire at Impala Terminal in Milford Haven

Published

10 hours ago

July 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Fire involved decommissioned oil tank containing residual crude oil and around 60 cylinders

A MAJOR incident declared during a fire at the Impala Terminal in Milford Haven has now been rescinded, with emergency services saying crews are making good progress.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at 5:11pm on Monday, July 6, to reports of a fire at Impala Terminals Infrastructure UK Ltd at Robeston West.

Crews from Milford Haven, Haverfordwest and Pembroke Dock remain at the scene.

The fire service has confirmed that the blaze involves a decommissioned oil tank containing residual crude oil and approximately 60 cylinders, including a mixture of propane and oxygen cylinders.

A large plume of black smoke has been visible from the area.

All persons have been accounted for.

Dyfed-Powys Police said it received reports of the fire at around 5:10pm and officers attended swiftly, working with emergency service partners as part of a coordinated multi-agency response.

One casualty has been reported. They are believed to have sustained minor injuries and are receiving appropriate care.

Resources from the Welsh Ambulance Service University NHS Trust attended the scene to provide additional support, but were not required to convey any patients to hospital.

Pembrokeshire County Council emergency planning officers have joined the multi-agency response, while council highways staff assisted emergency service colleagues with road closures around the Impala facility.

Roads in the area have now reopened. However, emergency services and partner agencies remain at the scene and are continuing to manage the incident safely.

Officials say there is not believed to be a wider risk to the public at this time.

Members of the public are still being asked to avoid the immediate area where possible and allow access for emergency service vehicles. Local residents are advised to keep windows and doors closed if there is thick smoke nearby.

Natural Resources Wales has also confirmed it is aware of the incident and was involved in a multi-agency meeting this evening.

NRW said Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is leading on the incident, including communications. The environmental regulator said the fire service had not requested its attendance at the site, but officers would attend if asked.

The Herald earlier reported that the fire was understood to have started in the area of a tank at the rear of the facility where dismantling work was taking place. The official update has now confirmed the incident involves a decommissioned oil tank containing residual crude oil.

Further updates will be provided as information becomes available.

Images: Martin Cavaney and others

News

Large fire breaks out at Impala Terminal in Milford Haven

Published

14 hours ago

July 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Black smoke seen for miles as emergency services respond to incident at former Puma Energy site

A LARGE fire has broken out at the Impala Terminal in Milford Haven this evening, sending a thick plume of black smoke high above the town and across the Haven waterway.

Multiple fire appliances have been seen heading to the site, with police closing roads in the immediate area while emergency services deal with the incident.

The Herald understands that the fire started in the area of Tank 10, at the rear of the facility, where demolition work was being carried out.

Sources have told The Herald that the tank was in the process of being dismantled and that cutting gear was being used at the time. The tank is understood to have been empty, but there may have been oil residue or sludge beneath or within the structure.

This has not yet been officially confirmed by the fire service, police, or the site operator, and the exact cause of the fire remains unconfirmed.

***Emergency services at the scene (Pic: Martin Cavaney/Herald)***

Pictures and video from the scene show a large column of black smoke rising from the industrial site, visible from Milford Haven, Neyland, Pembroke Dock and other areas around the Haven.

Members of the public are being urged to avoid the area and allow emergency services to work. As a precaution, anyone living nearby should keep windows and doors closed until further guidance is issued.

***Black smoke rising from the facility as alarms and sirens sounded (Pic: Martin Cavaney/Herald)***

The site, still widely known locally as Puma Energy, is now operated as the Impala Terminal. It occupies part of the former Milford Haven oil refinery, which ceased refining operations before the site was converted into a fuel storage and distribution terminal.

The terminal has long been associated with the import, storage and distribution of petroleum products, with a large number of tanks, pipeline systems and jetty infrastructure forming part of the wider Milford Haven energy complex.

***The fire could be seen for miles around (Pic: Nic Taylor)***

Milford Haven remains one of the UK’s most important energy ports, with oil, gas and fuel infrastructure playing a major role in the local economy for decades.

The Herald has contacted the emergency services and site operators for an official update.

Natural Resources Wales has confirmed it is aware of the incident and was involved in a multi-agency meeting this evening.

A spokesperson said Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is leading on the incident, including communications.

Sirens sound AT the facility as black smoke rises (VIDEO: Richard REES)

NRW said the fire service had not requested its attendance at the site, but officers would attend if asked. The environmental regulator said it had no further comment at this stage.

Impala Terminals said: “We can can confirm that an incident has occurred at our Milford Haven Terminal on 6 July at 17:10hrs.

“The Site Emergency Team and Emergency Services are managing our response to the emergency.

“We can confirm that all employees and contractors are accounted for.

“Our first priority is to protect the safety of our people, the surrounding community and the environment.

“At this stage it is not possible to confirm any further details. Any further updates will be provided in due course.”

Community

Mid and West Wales fire service helps deliver life-saving aid to Ukraine

Published

15 hours ago

July 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

MID AND WEST WALES FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE has helped deliver a major convoy of firefighting vehicles and equipment to Ukraine, four years on from the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

The latest convoy, the ninth of its kind, left the UK on Monday, 29 June and reached the Polish border with Ukraine on Thursday, 2 July, where vehicles and equipment were handed over to Ukrainian partners.

The operation was sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and FIRE AID, and delivered through a national partnership involving National Resilience, the National Fire Chiefs Council, UK International Search and Rescue, and fire and rescue services from across England and Wales.

The convoy delivered 21 fire vehicles, including 17 fire engines, as well as more than 2,300 pieces of essential firefighting equipment. The donations will help replace critical resources lost during the war.

Since 2022, the UK fire and rescue community has donated 169 vehicles and more than 220,000 pieces of equipment to Ukraine.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service was represented on the convoy by Watch Manager Robert Kershaw.

He said: “I am incredibly proud of our Service’s commitment to supporting the charity and helping get vital aid to Ukraine.

“This mission holds a very special place in my heart, as my family hosted a Ukrainian family for a year, who we now consider our own.

“Knowing the impact of this conflict first-hand makes me even more grateful to work alongside colleagues who are dedicated to helping Ukrainian emergency services protect lives.”

Previous donations from UK fire and rescue services are already making a significant difference on the ground. Vehicles delivered through earlier convoys have responded to more than 6,000 incidents, while more than 2,500 Ukrainian firefighters have been equipped with fully operational PPE and breathing apparatus.

Ukrainian fire and rescue services continue to face severe pressure. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, 481 fire stations have been destroyed, with a further 106 in occupied territories. A total of 1,792 fire vehicles have also been lost.

Since the full-scale invasion began, 122 firefighters have been killed and 629 injured, with three still in captivity. The figures were correct as of 22 June 2026.

Despite these losses, Ukrainian firefighters continue to work on the frontline, saving lives, protecting infrastructure and responding to emergencies while under constant threat.

Around 80 volunteers from across the UK fire and rescue community took part in the convoy, giving their time to prepare, drive and deliver the appliances and equipment.

Fire and rescue services involved included Derbyshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Kent, Lancashire, London, Merseyside, Mid and West Wales, North Wales, North Yorkshire, South Wales, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Surrey, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

National Fire Chiefs Council Chair Phil Garrigan said: “The UK Fire and Rescue community remains unwavering in its support for colleagues in Ukraine.

“Four years on from the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian firefighters continue to operate in the most challenging and dangerous conditions imaginable.

“This ninth convoy demonstrates the enduring commitment of UK fire and rescue services to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian counterparts.

“The equipment being donated will help replace vital resources lost during the conflict and ensure firefighters can continue their life-saving work.

“This is about firefighters supporting firefighters. It is a powerful example of friendship that transcends borders.

“It is crucial we recognise the challenges our colleagues face and that we continue to play our part.”

FIRE AID Ukraine Lead Oksana Romanukha said: “We are once again seeing the extraordinary solidarity of communities right across the UK with Ukraine.

“These vehicles and equipment are lifelines, helping to save lives, protect firefighters and strengthen the resilience of communities under constant threat.

“We are deeply grateful to everyone across the fire and rescue community, and all those involved, who have made this collective effort possible.”

Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy Samantha Dixon said: “Ukraine has faced unimaginable suffering, and we remain unwavering in our support.

“This convoy will deliver the critical equipment needed to help Ukraine’s Fire Service save lives, respond to attacks and protect their communities.

“I’m proud of the brave volunteers from across our Fire and Rescue Service, as well as all the organisations which have played a role in mobilising these vital assets, making sure support reaches those who need it most.”