Other News In Brief

£31.5m To Be Invested In Scottish Naval Base

£31.5 million is to be invested in improving facilities for Service personnel at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde.

The investment will provide new accommodation for personnel working and serving their country at the Faslane base, which is the largest employment site in Scotland, supporting 6,700 military and civilian jobs, increasing to 8,200 by 2022.

The new funding was revealed by the Defence Minister for International Security Strategy, Dr Andrew Murrison, during a visit to Scotland to meet defence stakeholders and take the salute at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The announcement will increase the number of bed spaces on the Clyde base by around 600 to support its role as the home of the UK submarine fleet.

Tourists Cut Off By High Tide On Gower

The Volunteer crew of the Mumbles RNLI are appealing for all to take care this Bank Holiday weekend.

The crew were called to the aid of tourists cut off by the high tide twice in a couple of hours tonight. 
 
Just after they launched for a routine training exercise the crew noticed a lone holidaymaker who had become trapped by the tide on the outer island which houses the Mumbles lighthouse. The Mumbles inshore lifeboat was launched to recover the man who had been left on the island by a very fast incoming spring tide.
 
Then just over an hour later the Coastguard at Swansea received another call from a passer-by on Three Cliffs Bay who had spotted a man and woman trying to scramble up the cliffs next to the sand dunes. Horton Lifeboat was launched and Mumbles all weather lifeboat stood by as the couple were rescued.
 
James Bolter Second Coxswain of the Mumbles boat said: "There was some very skill full work on behalf of the crew of Horton who managed to collect the couple and return them safely to shore before they were given a lift to their campsite on Gower. We're appealing to all who take to the water this weekend to be careful of the strong tide and if you do get cut off then do exactly what the people rescued tonight did and stay put as long as it’s safe until help arrives. Also if you are taking to the water then don’t forget to ensure you’re wearing a buoyancy aid and let someone know where you’re going and what time you can be expected back."


This year has been one of the busiest in recent years for the lifeboats at Mumbles Gower and Port Talbot and the crews anticipate a busy bank holiday weekend.

More Support For SEN Teachers

More than 500 teachers and special educational needs (SEN) support staff have been awarded scholarships worth up to £3,500 to develop their specialist knowledge and skills.

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For the third year running, the National Scholarship Fund will support successful applicants in funding their professional development. Combined, today's awards are worth more than £950,000, bringing the total given through the fund over the 3 years to £3.7 million.

Today's announcement reflects the government's commitment to continuing professional development for the profession – particularly those who educate children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Charlie Taylor, Chief Executive of the National College for Teaching Leadership, said: "A teaching profession that values continuing professional development is crucial to raising standards in our schools. These scholarships – alongside our wider educational reforms – will help deliver our objective of raising the status of teachers."

(CD/IT)