Changes to future emergency alerts in Welsh language planned

It follows criticism over the emergency alerts issued during wildfires

The UK government is working on changes to emergency alerts after criticism of the length of time between Welsh and English warnings sent to mobile phones about wildfires.

Security minister Dan Jarvis revealed in a letter to Newport East MP Jessica Morden that the UK government was working on plans to send messages bilingually wherever possible and to reduce the gap between messages if they were sent separately in Welsh and English.

There was criticism of the messages sent on Friday, August 14, over the length of time between people receiving an emergency message in Welsh and a message in English which some did not receive for three to five minutes, leading to panic and confusion among people who do not speak Welsh.

The alerts were issued on Friday, August 14, as firefighters were stretched to the brink as wildfires were raging across both Wales and England. Homes had been evacuated and major incidents had been declared by two of Wales’ three fire services.

Just after 7pm an emergency alert arrived to mobile phones in Wales, first in Welsh, warning residents of the ongoing situation and how to prevent fires from erupting.

Following the confusion, Jessica Morden, Labour MP for Newport East, wrote to the UK Government’s security minister Dan Jarvis to get some clarification as to why this was the procedure.

Mr Jarvis said in his response that the alert was first issued in Welsh due to “legal responsibilities” under the Welsh Language Act. He said it was not possible to send the messages bilingually.

Mr Jarvis’ letter in response to Ms Morden states: “The decision to issue this alert was not taken lightly. It was made in direct cooperation with the National Fire Chiefs Council, at a time when emergency services were facing unprecedented pressure, with particularly in South Wales, 43 active fires and 11 major incidents across the UK.

“The intention was to serve as a vital, life-saving measure to mitigate further risks and reduce the burden on our fire and rescue services.

“Evidence from the 72 hours following the alert indicates that this intervention was effective, with a measurable reduction in new wildfire incidents.

“In Wales, the alert was sent in Welsh followed by English in order to fulfil our legal responsibilities under the Welsh Language Act 1993.

“In this instance, it was not possible to convey both the Welsh and English text in a single message. Where possible, the Cabinet Office and partner agencies will consider sending bilingual alerts.

“For technical reasons, a brief gap was needed between the broadcast of the Welsh and English messages. We are working with the Government Digital Service and Mobile Network Operators to reduce this gap further to ensure alerts are sent as quickly as possible.

“Thank you for taking the time to write about these important matters.”

Despite the confusion caused by the Welsh version being sent out first, and the few minutes delay between that and the English version being sent out, Mr Jarvis said the message did prove to be effective.

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