:00:00. > :00:17.And that is all from us for this evening. Now on BBC
:00:18. > :00:21.Good evening. The health minister has dismissed calls for an inquiry
:00:22. > :00:27.into death rates at hospitals here as an attempt to drag the Welsh NHS
:00:28. > :00:30.through the mud. It comes after the Medical Director of the NHS in
:00:31. > :00:32.England suggested death rates here are worrying and should be
:00:33. > :00:43.investigated. Here's our Political Editor, Nick Servini.
:00:44. > :00:48.In the past few years, the families of some of those who have died in
:00:49. > :00:53.Welsh hospitals have told us of their concerns about the Welsh NHS.
:00:54. > :00:59.Today the euro has raised its head again, this time and an e-mail from
:01:00. > :01:05.the medical director of the NHS in England to his equivalent in Wales.
:01:06. > :01:11.He describes the high death rate as worrying and says there is real
:01:12. > :01:15.concern about what is happening. He says there are six hospitals with
:01:16. > :01:20.persistently high mortality which warrant further investigation. He
:01:21. > :01:28.adds that he does not have adequate data. Figures from the Welsh
:01:29. > :01:33.government show 11 district hospitals had higher death rates
:01:34. > :01:38.than should be expected. That has dropped to eighth match. The figures
:01:39. > :01:45.were published any bit to raise transparency following scandal, but
:01:46. > :01:54.some are concerned we are not getting the full picture. In England
:01:55. > :01:57.we adjusted the rates which drew attention to the
:01:58. > :02:00.we adjusted the rates which drew Staffordshire. If there are
:02:01. > :02:04.questions about the quality of the service in Wales, they should
:02:05. > :02:09.probably be looking at things in a similar way. If you go to the
:02:10. > :02:17.website of one of the hospital is you will find that the measures they
:02:18. > :02:24.use has changed and it looks as if in some of the analyses, they are
:02:25. > :02:27.missing data. The Welsh government says any suggestion the high death
:02:28. > :02:32.rates are being covered up is ridiculous and without foundation.
:02:33. > :02:38.The health Minister tonight hit back at the critics. All they are
:02:39. > :02:42.interested in doing is diverting attention from the utter shambles of
:02:43. > :02:48.the end the chest in England by seeing it is worse in Wales and we
:02:49. > :02:52.will not fall into that problem. -- utter shambles
:02:53. > :02:57.will not fall into that problem. -- England. Assembly Members watered
:02:58. > :02:59.against the idea in November. It is one thing to investigate individual
:03:00. > :03:08.cases where the patient may have passed away and circumstances need
:03:09. > :03:12.to be investigated, but what we need here is a systematic investigation
:03:13. > :03:19.to see what the root causes of these problems are to take appropriate
:03:20. > :03:22.action. Gareth Williams is campaigning for a full public
:03:23. > :03:29.inquiry into the state of the NHS in Wales. His mother died two years ago
:03:30. > :03:36.and an independent review is being carried out. It is soul destroying
:03:37. > :03:42.to see someone going through that. She was abused and neglected. There
:03:43. > :03:52.needs to be a fool public inquiry in the style of the France's report.
:03:53. > :03:56.They have ruled out a Wales -wide enquiry and have said the majority
:03:57. > :03:57.of the people are pleased with the treatment they received.
:03:58. > :04:00.The deputy headteacher from Cardiff who's pleaded guilty to three
:04:01. > :04:03.charges of voyeurism involving children has been charged with a
:04:04. > :04:06.number of other similar offences. Some of Gareth Williams' latest
:04:07. > :04:09.offences allegedly took place at Ysgol Glantaf where he worked. He'll
:04:10. > :04:14.appear before Magistrates in Cardiff next Wednesday.
:04:15. > :04:17.Around 100 bus routes have been scrapped across Wales in the past
:04:18. > :04:22.few years with many more under threat. Rural villages have been
:04:23. > :04:25.worst hit by the cuts, and the charity Age Cymru says older people
:04:26. > :04:30.could become increasingly isolated and cut-off from services. The Welsh
:04:31. > :04:40.government says it's reviewing ways of funding services.
:04:41. > :04:44.Isolation is a big problem in Wales. Older people will find
:04:45. > :04:49.themselves cut off and not able to get out and about. Not able to
:04:50. > :04:54.access the local services they need. We know a lot of older people rely
:04:55. > :04:57.on public buses to get out and about. It gives them independence
:04:58. > :05:01.and freedom. Four men have been jailed for a
:05:02. > :05:04.total of 14 years for their part in a mobile phone insurance scam worth
:05:05. > :05:07.?300,000. Christopher Surman, Andrew Patterson and Wayne Ghosh from
:05:08. > :05:10.Swansea and Omar Mapara from Bristol, had all admitted conspiring
:05:11. > :05:12.to defraud customers by selling false insurance policies to
:05:13. > :05:15.thousands of people. Three others were given suspended
:05:16. > :05:24.prison sentences for selling insurance without being authorised
:05:25. > :05:28.to do so. They have been sentenced on the
:05:29. > :05:37.basis that there was no intention of ever paying out on any of the
:05:38. > :05:44.warranties or what purported to be insurance policies. It was a
:05:45. > :05:47.complete: . -- con. If you live in South Wales, you may
:05:48. > :05:50.have felt an earthquake at lunchtime. The tremor, measuring
:05:51. > :05:54.4.1, was recorded under the Bristol Channel. The epicentre was south of
:05:55. > :05:57.the Gower and was felt in Swansea and Llanelli, as well as on the
:05:58. > :05:58.other side of the channel. Some people reported their houses
:05:59. > :06:01.shaking. Football, and Swansea City held
:06:02. > :06:05.Italian side Napoli to a goalless draw at the Liberty Stadium tonight,
:06:06. > :06:09.in the first leg of their Europa League tie. On an historic night for
:06:10. > :06:15.Swansea, they had plenty of chances to win the game. Manager Garry Monk
:06:16. > :06:25.will head into the second leg next week with plenty of positives.
:06:26. > :06:29.Claire Summers reports. Rafael Benitez and Garry Monk are
:06:30. > :06:36.total opposites and managerial experience, the new kid on the block
:06:37. > :06:40.against the old master. In front of the travelling fans, the Italians
:06:41. > :06:49.showed their intent from the start. It was end to end stuff and Napoli
:06:50. > :06:54.needed their own keeper just a few minutes later. Swansea got into the
:06:55. > :07:03.swing and had a great chance to take the lead. He looked to be through
:07:04. > :07:09.but just could not finish it. Swansea's pressure continued. They
:07:10. > :07:10.did everything right apart from scoring and the captain had a
:07:11. > :07:19.did everything right apart from chance to give them the lead. As the
:07:20. > :07:24.90 minute approached, more chances but Swansea where unable to take the
:07:25. > :07:28.initiative. Garry Monk will take much confidence from his team's
:07:29. > :07:32.performance and the second leg could be even more exciting as his wife is
:07:33. > :07:36.expecting twins next Thursday. Rugby, and in the Pro 12 the Blues
:07:37. > :07:40.have lost at home to Leinster by 34 points to 22. The home side conceded
:07:41. > :07:46.two tries before Gareth Davies crossed for the Blues' first try.
:07:47. > :07:49.Staying with rugby and tomorrow night we'll be live from the
:07:50. > :07:52.Millennium Stadium as Wales take on France in the Six Nations. Both
:07:53. > :07:54.teams had a run-out on the pitch today.
:07:55. > :08:00.France head into the match unbeaten having won against England and
:08:01. > :08:02.Italy. Wales are looking to bounce back from that dismal defeat in
:08:03. > :08:04.Dublin. The weather forecast for Wales now,
:08:05. > :08:14.here's Derek. I am sure you will not be surprised
:08:15. > :08:21.to hear this is the wettest winter on record in Wales with over two
:08:22. > :08:26.feet of rain falling, beating the previous record in 1995. There is
:08:27. > :08:33.more rain and showers to come with just a few showers here and there.
:08:34. > :08:40.Snow on higher ground with a touch of frost. Enter tomorrow morning,
:08:41. > :08:45.again, some heavy showers with hail and snow on some of the hills and
:08:46. > :08:52.mountains. Some dry and bright weather as well. It is a case of
:08:53. > :08:58.dodging the showers across the UK with hail and Sunderland heavy
:08:59. > :09:05.downpours. -- thunder and heavy downpours. Three o'clock tomorrow
:09:06. > :09:10.afternoon there will be a few sharp showers around with hail and snow on
:09:11. > :09:13.the Brecon Beacons but some places will be dry and bright and a chilly
:09:14. > :09:19.afternoon with strong winds on the coast. If you are heading to the
:09:20. > :09:24.match tomorrow evening it will be chilly with passing showers. Enter
:09:25. > :09:27.Saturday, some dry and bright weather and a little sunshine but
:09:28. > :09:36.probably turning cloudy and damped by the evening. Into Sunday, a windy
:09:37. > :09:42.evening with rain and drizzle and most of the heaviest rain in the
:09:43. > :09:49.north-west and calming milder. -- turning milder. It is the wettest
:09:50. > :09:51.winter on record in Wales but I can promise you a few sunny spells next
:09:52. > :09:53.week as well. promise you a few sunny spells next
:09:54. > :09:56.We'll have updates for you in Breakfast from 6:25 tomorrow
:09:57. > :10:02.morning. But for now, from all of us here, good night. Nos da.
:10:03. > :10:06.MUSIC: Theme from "The Deep" by Donna Summer