6. How is the Welsh Government promoting fire safety in Wales? OAQ(5)0111(CC)

We continue to support the Welsh fire and rescue authorities to improve fire safety. We have provided £1.4 million for them this year.

Diolch. Responding to your 7 February statement on safer communities, I referred to press reports the previous day of an 11 per cent increase in deliberate fires in Wales the previous year, which had diverted from other 999 calls and diverted fire crews away from their other priorities. Ten days later, press coverage of Welsh Government figures reported a third increase in deliberately started grass fires in Wales last year, with some 2,604 grass fires started on purpose. When you replied to me on 7 February, you referred to the previous Minister having had a joint meeting with local authorities, fire authorities and the police, but, given these significant increases now on your watch, what action have you or will you be taking with the relevant authorities?

Well, the results speak for themselves. Fires have more than halved since devolution and the responsibility for fire services has come to Wales. The Member is right to raise the issue of it peaking in grass fires. Look, any fire that is set like that is unlawful, and I encourage the authorities, or individuals who have any information about that, to tackle that by ringing the police in this case. I do meet with the fire authorities on a regular basis. I met them only last week. I will discuss how critical this issue is with them, in regard to the grass fires specifically, as we move forward into spring.

Obviously, arson is an extremely serious offence. I want to pay tribute to the fire services who turned out so promptly at a deliberate arson attack on a vehicle in Llanedeyrn on 15 January, because, without that, there would have been serious loss of life. But I also want to pay tribute to the Cardiff youth services and their work with the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service to ensure that young people who deliberately set fire to things are really aware of the potential dangers. They’re not targeting anybody in particular; they think it’s just a recreational activity. So, the Phoenix project, the young firefighters scheme and the fire setting intervention scheme seem to me to be three things that really do help young people understand that setting fire to anything is a very dangerous activity, and something to absolutely be avoided.

I thank the Member for her question. I agree with the Member—I’m incredibly proud of our firefighters across Wales. We have a great service, and, indeed, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority provides several fire safety programmes to young people in Cardiff and beyond. These are funded by the Welsh Government and provided in collaboration with public and third sector partners, and they’ve proven highly effective in keeping young people safe from fire and reducing deliberately set fires in particular. This also goes hand in hand with work by the police liaison team, and it’s something that we recognise does have a big impact where we have intelligence of where there is some risk of young people setting fires.