Plaid Cymru leader calls for First Minister to be on flooding ‘stand-by’

PLAID Cymru’s Leader Adam Price says Welsh Government must hold emergency meeting if flooding hits communities over the weekend.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has said the Welsh Government must convene an emergency meeting if severe flooding hits communities across Wales over the weekend.

Mr Price said that an emergency ‘COBRA’ like meeting held at the Welsh Emergency Co-ordination Centre should be prepared for now and called for the Labour First Minister Mark Drakeford to be “on stand-by” for such a meeting.

Dozens of flood alerts and flood warnings have been issued across the country by Natural Resources Wales for the next twenty four hours with severe road and rail disruption reported across Wales.

Mr Price said communities “should not be left behind” and said he remained concerned that funding needed to support communities would not be delivered by the Welsh and Westminster governments.

The Plaid Cymru Leader reiterated calls for additional resources to be awarded to Natural Resources Wales and local authorities to deal with the impact of flooding and flood prevention in the long term.

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said,

“I pay tribute and thank all of those officials and volunteers who are currently working hard around the clock to keep our communities safe from the torrential rain this evening.

“If the worst happens and severe flooding hits our communities again over the weekend then we would expect nothing less than a Welsh Government emergency meeting convened at once at the Welsh Emergency Coordination Centre – in the same breath as COBRA, to deal with the response.

“I’m calling on the First Minister to be on stand-by now for such a meeting and that steps are taken now to prepare ahead of stormy weather.

“Our communities must not be left behind. I remain concerned that there’s been no clarity on where the relief money will come from. The Welsh Government is pledging £10m but have also acknowledged that the cost of repair in Rhondda Cynon Taff alone will cost £180m. How long do we have to wait for them and the Westminster government to deliver this much needed money for our communities?

“Meanwhile, we have to step up a gear. Flooding is becoming commonplace and the Welsh Government must provide Natural Resources Wales and local authorities additional resources to deal with this in the long term – alongside a flood prevention strategy with investment in more hard and soft defences to protect our communities.