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| Mountain rescuers' cash warning | Mountain rescuers' cash warning |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Mountain rescue teams in Wales say their service will suffer if the government does not help to fund them like their Scottish counterparts. | Mountain rescue teams in Wales say their service will suffer if the government does not help to fund them like their Scottish counterparts. |
| Many teams believe the extra money is needed to reflect their increasing use as "urban search" teams by police. | Many teams believe the extra money is needed to reflect their increasing use as "urban search" teams by police. |
| One team member from north Wales said he feared the 999 service was simply regarded as a "cheap resource". | One team member from north Wales said he feared the 999 service was simply regarded as a "cheap resource". |
| The Home Office said it was a matter for police forces to decide how they assisted local mountain rescue teams. | The Home Office said it was a matter for police forces to decide how they assisted local mountain rescue teams. |
| Mountain rescue in Scotland has been part-funded by the Scottish Executive since 2003. The 23 teams receive £300,000 a year to divide between them. | Mountain rescue in Scotland has been part-funded by the Scottish Executive since 2003. The 23 teams receive £300,000 a year to divide between them. |
| The assembly government gives the 11 teams in Wales £18,000, but this money can only be used to buy equipment. The UK Government provides no cash for mountain rescue. | The assembly government gives the 11 teams in Wales £18,000, but this money can only be used to buy equipment. The UK Government provides no cash for mountain rescue. |
| We're mountaineers trying to put something back into the sport, but we're being increasingly used on police jobs Chris Lloyd, Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team | We're mountaineers trying to put something back into the sport, but we're being increasingly used on police jobs Chris Lloyd, Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team |
| Many teams say they now spend as much time fund-raising as they do on rescues. | Many teams say they now spend as much time fund-raising as they do on rescues. |
| Andrew Simpson, from the Mountain Rescue Council for England and Wales, said: "The number of call-outs we are attending goes up year on year. | Andrew Simpson, from the Mountain Rescue Council for England and Wales, said: "The number of call-outs we are attending goes up year on year. |
| "We used to get people off hills. These days we're regularly called to search for vulnerable or missing people, and we often have to search for bodies or evidence after a murder," he said. | "We used to get people off hills. These days we're regularly called to search for vulnerable or missing people, and we often have to search for bodies or evidence after a murder," he said. |
| "We like to think we provide as professional a service as possible, but the job is harder now than it used to be in terms of call-outs. Eventually something will have to give." | "We like to think we provide as professional a service as possible, but the job is harder now than it used to be in terms of call-outs. Eventually something will have to give." |
| Rescue team staff are volunteers | Rescue team staff are volunteers |
| Mr Simpson said about £1.5m of government money would be needed each year to give "parity" with Scotland. | Mr Simpson said about £1.5m of government money would be needed each year to give "parity" with Scotland. |
| But he added that an equivalent service could cost up to £30m to set up. | But he added that an equivalent service could cost up to £30m to set up. |
| Chris Lloyd, from Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team, said: "We're going out to call-outs that really we should not be called out for. | Chris Lloyd, from Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team, said: "We're going out to call-outs that really we should not be called out for. |
| "We're mountaineers trying to put something back into the sport, but we're being increasingly used on police jobs - we're a cheap resource." | "We're mountaineers trying to put something back into the sport, but we're being increasingly used on police jobs - we're a cheap resource." |
| It costs £35,000 a year to run the Ogwen team, but capital expenditure can double that figure - a new, fully-equipped Land Rover costs £30,000. | It costs £35,000 a year to run the Ogwen team, but capital expenditure can double that figure - a new, fully-equipped Land Rover costs £30,000. |
| Llanberis mountain rescue - the busiest team in Wales - said it was replacing its vehicle this year, but could only afford a second-hand one. | Llanberis mountain rescue - the busiest team in Wales - said it was replacing its vehicle this year, but could only afford a second-hand one. |
| Merthr Tydfil MP Dai Havard, said teams would find it "more difficult" to respond to certain incidents if they were forced to rely on fund raising and donations. | Merthr Tydfil MP Dai Havard, said teams would find it "more difficult" to respond to certain incidents if they were forced to rely on fund raising and donations. |
| "If it's a missing person search and it's in the town, then they would perhaps not send as many people to it," he said. | "If it's a missing person search and it's in the town, then they would perhaps not send as many people to it," he said. |
| Many teams spend as much time fund-raising as they do on rescues | Many teams spend as much time fund-raising as they do on rescues |
| "The quality of the response would drop, but they will still try and do their best - and feel guilty about if as well. That's not good enough." | "The quality of the response would drop, but they will still try and do their best - and feel guilty about if as well. That's not good enough." |
| He said the teams were "very much taken for granted" by the UK Government. | He said the teams were "very much taken for granted" by the UK Government. |
| "It's not just the odd call at the weekend - they are becoming part of the responder community for incidents of all sorts," he added. | "It's not just the odd call at the weekend - they are becoming part of the responder community for incidents of all sorts," he added. |
| Mark Moran, from Central Beacons Mountain Rescue, said he did not object to police calling on their expertise in "urban searches". | Mark Moran, from Central Beacons Mountain Rescue, said he did not object to police calling on their expertise in "urban searches". |
| But he said extra government money would relieve pressure on rescue volunteers who give up their time and money to help people. | But he said extra government money would relieve pressure on rescue volunteers who give up their time and money to help people. |
| A Home Office spokeswoman said the work of mountain rescue volunteers was "welcomed". | |
| She added: "Local police forces have different priorities in the work they do, so it's a matter for them and local chief constables to make a decision on what they do to assist local mountain rescue teams." | She added: "Local police forces have different priorities in the work they do, so it's a matter for them and local chief constables to make a decision on what they do to assist local mountain rescue teams." |