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Simon Hart wrote encouraging use of military before criticising us for it says Wales’ Health Minister

15 Oct 2021 3 minute read
Simon Hart (left) by Chris McAndrew (CC BY 3.0). Health Minister Eluned Morgan. Picture by the Welsh Government.

The Welsh Secretary wrote to encourage the use of the military by the Welsh NHS before criticising the Welsh Government for it, the Health Minister has said.

Yesterday Simon Hart said that Wales couldn’t keep depending on the military to “rescue” the ambulance service in times of need.

But the Health Minister Eluned Morgan published a letter that Simon Hart had sent her reminding her that the military was helping England’s NHS and to let him know if they could do the same in Wales.

Bit of a strange thing for Simon Hart to say, considering how, not so long ago, he wrote to me encouraging the use of military support!” she said.

Simon Hart had told The Telegraph that the Welsh government had to understand that the military was not an “open-ended” resource to ease problems with the region’s ambulance service.

They had to sort out the problems in the ambulance service by the end of November, when the military aid would come to and end, he said.

Simon Hart said: “The purpose of MACA requests are for absolutely extraordinary circumstances, specifically in this instance related to Covid.”

He added that “we just need to make sure that we adhere to that”, and that the Welsh government does not think that “soldiers will come to our rescue” every time the ambulance service runs into problems.

“That would be the wrong solution to the longer-term issues,” he said.

‘Help’

But the Health Minister Eluned Morgan pointed to a letter to her by the Welsh Secretary in which he had encouraged the use of the military.

“You may have seen in the news recently that members of the armed forces have been called upon to support ambulance services across various regions of England,” he said in the letter.

“I very much hope that if circumstances require it. MoD support is available through the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) process.

“The Welsh Government made use of this when the military provided support the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WAST) and supported the vaccine rollout earlier this year

“The military are able to assist government departments and civil authorities for urgent work of national importance, responding to emergencies or in maintaining supplies and essential services Approval of such requests is not guaranteed

“If you think we can help in any way, please let me know.”

A Welsh government spokesman responded: “The Secretary of State for Wales wrote to the Welsh Health Minister on the September 13 drawing our attention to the use of Armed Forces personnel to assist ambulance services in parts of England. He proactively offered similar support to Wales.

“We are extremely grateful to the MoD personnel for their assistance which, as with all MACA arrangements, will be time limited.”


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Grayham Jones
3 years ago

Kick this idiot out of wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 we in wales have got to stop being little and be proud to be welsh start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 it’s time for a new wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Gareth Wyn Jones
Gareth Wyn Jones
3 years ago

Hi hypocrisy is becoming banal, it can’t come soon enough that his position is abolished in a free and independent Cymru

Cai Wogan Jones
Cai Wogan Jones
3 years ago

It seems the sole function of the Secretary of State is to troll our government in Wales.

Cai Wogan Jones
Cai Wogan Jones
3 years ago

Should the English rely on the military to supply their petrol stations?

Gareth W
Gareth W
3 years ago

Never trust a Tory

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
3 years ago

Stephen As long as we are a part of the United Kingdom then it is our military as well, not just England’s. Of course it is OK for the English NHS to use the military to help their ambulances services in England (and I’m not criticising them for doing so by the way) but to then criticise the Welsh NHS for doing the same is hypocrisy of the highest order – from both Simon Hart and yourself. Really it’s just Welsh-bashing Tory propaganda – and like a good little fan of Emperor Boswellox you swallowed it hook, line and sinker.… Read more »

hdavies15
hdavies15
3 years ago

So no surprise is it ? After all he’s part of Boris’ flip flopping cabinet, people who think that changing their tune daily is quite the done thing as the proles have no capacity for recognising inconsistency, duplicity or insincerity.

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
3 years ago

Have the Torygraph published an apology? One needs to be demanded.

Barry Pandy
Barry Pandy
3 years ago

Oh and by the way, it is the Y Senedd. Get your facts right.

Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan
3 years ago

If ever there was a case of “Aye aye sir, three bags full sir”, Hart it is. Whatever Bojo wants, simple Simon will put words to it. Scrap the job, and let’s get on with Wales!!

Vaughan
Vaughan
3 years ago

I find it quite sinister that Hart and Westminster seem constantly to be looking to pick fights with the devolved administration

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
3 years ago

Like all who work for Fat Shanks he speaks with forked tongue…

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
3 years ago

Anglophile Simon Hart isn’t the Welsh Secretary but England’s overseer to Wales. In the Act of Union Wales of 1535 – 1543 stipulates that no one in Wales can hold high office unless there was present an English overseer. Also, an Interesting thing to know is that the English Overseer law has never been repealed in Westminster along with Henry V 1404 decree who placed a curfew on the Welsh being in the city of Chester. And if found could legally decapitated. See below Henry V decree legalising the state murder of the Welsh. “…all manner of Welsh persons or… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Y Cymro

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