Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 3:01 pm on 11 June 2019.
I thank you for that answer. The fourteenth of June is the start of the Royal Life Saving Society's Drowning Prevention Week and the purpose is to raise awareness around water safety and drowning prevention. Tragically, one person drowns accidentally every 20 hours in the UK and many others experience life-changing injuries as a consequence of near-drowning. That is why awareness-raising campaigns are so important. The Royal Life Saving Society UK, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Dŵr Cymru work tirelessly throughout the year to raise awareness, and I would like to thank them for their commitment and their hard work.
With the summer holidays just around the corner, that is a peak time for these types of accidents, and I'm sure you'll agree that it's crucial that the water safety and drowning prevention messages are heard loud and clear. The UK drowning prevention strategy between 2016 and 2026 developed by their members aims to reduce drowning fatalities by 50 per cent. And remember that figure—that it's one person accidentally drowned every 20 hours in the UK. That is a scary figure. So, First Minister, what actions are the Welsh Government taking to help those who are aiming to reduce drowning to continue their very good work here in Wales?