:00:22. > :00:23.Falling passenger numbers and poor value for money for the taxpayer.
:00:24. > :00:26.That's the conclusion from a committee of Assembly members
:00:27. > :00:28.on the air-link service between Cardiff and Anglesey.
:00:29. > :00:31.A report by the Public Accounts Committee says improvements
:00:32. > :00:34.will need to be made if the subsidised service is to continue.
:00:35. > :00:38.Here's our political reporter, James Williams.
:00:39. > :00:40.Time to check in for this afternoon's Cardiff
:00:41. > :00:43.to Anglesey flight, but with fewer of us doing so, could it be
:00:44. > :00:49.At its height in 2009, the flight between Cardiff and Anglesey had
:00:50. > :00:55.But now the 18-seater service is regularly
:00:56. > :00:58.running at less than half full, as passenger numbers have dropped by
:00:59. > :01:08.But for some of this afternoon's 13 passengers, it's a valued service.
:01:09. > :01:17.More importantly for us is the time, with all of the travelling back
:01:18. > :01:21.Otherwise, it would be a full day and have a
:01:22. > :01:24.knock-on effect on your ability to do a full day's work the next day.
:01:25. > :01:27.In terms of lifestyle and business costs, it would be significant to a
:01:28. > :01:32.Up to April last year, around 65 passengers used the service, which
:01:33. > :01:34.has received more than ?9 million in public subsidy, costing the
:01:35. > :01:41.This isn't value for money according to the Assembly's
:01:42. > :01:45.It's all very well having a service, but I think it's the extent
:01:46. > :01:48.of the public subsidy and in the current economic climate, the cuts
:01:49. > :01:55.to the health service and social services, we have do make sure we
:01:56. > :01:58.to the health service and social services, we have to make sure we
:01:59. > :02:01.Launched in 2007, the flight was soon dubbed
:02:02. > :02:05.a reference to the then Transport Minister, Ieuan Jones,
:02:06. > :02:09.who was also an Assembly member for Ennis Moor.
:02:10. > :02:12.A lack of detail over how many public service officials are using
:02:13. > :02:14.the flight is raised as a concern in the committee's report.
:02:15. > :02:17.It also says a strong marketing campaign is needed to reverse the
:02:18. > :02:24.But what are the people of Mennai Bridge in Anglesey think of the
:02:25. > :02:33.flight, which reduces travelling time by more than four hours?
:02:34. > :02:35.Any improvements you can make to Anglesey always worth it,
:02:36. > :02:39.I think it is a good idea but it is to be expanded to the Isle
:02:40. > :02:41.of Man, Scotland, be more of a regional thing.
:02:42. > :02:44.We live in a country that is quite small geographically
:02:45. > :02:47.but has very long journey times, in making visionaries from the north to
:02:48. > :02:50.but has very long journey times, in making these journeys from the north
:02:51. > :02:54.to the south or vice versa, and it is very important that people in the
:02:55. > :02:58.But the current contract is due to end in December.
:02:59. > :03:01.The Welsh government has told us today it has started a fresh
:03:02. > :03:03.tendering process, suggesting there is the political will
:03:04. > :03:08.Meanwhile, the airline Flybe says it will not be renewing three of the
:03:09. > :03:11.four ski-destination routes it ran last winter from Cardiff airport.
:03:12. > :03:13.It'll resume weekly Saturday flights to Geneva from December to April,
:03:14. > :03:18.but has no plans to continue flights to Lyon, Grenoble and Chambray.
:03:19. > :03:28.Hospitals in Wales have the lowest number of patients
:03:29. > :03:33.Hospitals in Wales have the lowest number of beds in Europe for
:03:34. > :03:34.patients with acute life-threatening illnesses.
:03:35. > :03:36.That's according to a report written for Welsh ministers.
:03:37. > :03:38.It says inappropriate use of these beds
:03:39. > :03:39.also contributed to cancelled operations
:03:40. > :03:41.and patients leaving critical care when it was unsafe.
:03:42. > :03:44.Ministers say more beds would be provided by better use of resources.
:03:45. > :03:47.A light aircraft has made an emergency landing
:03:48. > :03:51.South Wales Police say they were called to Jersey Marine
:03:52. > :03:57.late this afternoon. The three people on board were not injured.
:03:58. > :03:59.Gwent Police is the only force in Wales -
:04:00. > :04:01.and one of only three in the UK -
:04:02. > :04:04.to be criticised for the way it's dealing with budget cuts.
:04:05. > :04:05.Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said that
:04:06. > :04:09.while more officers may need be cut to save money, the force could be
:04:10. > :04:13.putting crime fighting at risk as it tries to find savings.
:04:14. > :04:20.Patrolling the streets of Newport as budget cuts bite.
:04:21. > :04:24.Across the Gwent area, like other parts of Wales and
:04:25. > :04:28.England, the police force here have been receiving less and less money
:04:29. > :04:35.But in the last 12 months, inspectors say there has been
:04:36. > :04:39.a notable decline in the Gwent force's response to crime.
:04:40. > :04:49.Her Majesty's Inspectorate Constabulary says it is concerned
:04:50. > :04:51.that by simply not replacing staff as they leave, to save money,
:04:52. > :04:54.it may mean the service to force provides could suffer.
:04:55. > :04:57.It also says Gwent Police wasn't recording how long it took
:04:58. > :05:00.its officers to respond when someone called with an emergency.
:05:01. > :05:03.But do people in Newport city centre today care whether response
:05:04. > :05:10.I do think they should keep a record of how long they get to
:05:11. > :05:13.I don't think they are doing their job right.
:05:14. > :05:15.You don't think they are doing their job right?
:05:16. > :05:18.You never see anybody, you hardly see them around.
:05:19. > :05:21.We've asked them to come to the store, they've always responded
:05:22. > :05:25.I always say speak as you find and from personal experience,
:05:26. > :05:30.One policing expert says Gwent could look at what neighbouring
:05:31. > :05:36.Gwent should certainly be looking at what other forces have done
:05:37. > :05:38.in order to crack this conundrum they are facing.
:05:39. > :05:42.To try and do these reforms in a context where there is no more money
:05:43. > :05:45.and no one is expecting any more money in the future really does just
:05:46. > :05:49.sharpen the nature of the challenge and it is going to be quite
:05:50. > :05:56.difficult for the senior manager team to deliver on this.
:05:57. > :05:58.It also points out that the huge amount of planning
:05:59. > :06:01.Gwent Police have to do for the NATO summit here at the Celtic Manor
:06:02. > :06:05.in September could have an effect on their ability to address some of
:06:06. > :06:09.No one from the Police and Crime Commissioner's office or the force
:06:10. > :06:12.In a statement, they said they were confident in the
:06:13. > :06:24.leadership of the force and their ability to balance their budgets.
:06:25. > :06:27.With just one day to go until the opening of the Commonwealth Games
:06:28. > :06:29.in Glasgow, another blow for Team Wales tonight.
:06:30. > :06:31.One of their top boxers, Olympic silver medallist Fred Evans,
:06:32. > :06:34.the Games organisers refused to give accreditation
:06:35. > :06:36.after Home Office checks revealed a recent criminal conviction
:06:37. > :06:41.Three world champions have already pulled out through injury,
:06:42. > :06:53.is suspended after a failed drugs test.
:06:54. > :06:59.It has been a lot of hard work for a lot of different agencies over the
:07:00. > :07:02.last few weeks, because they know the quality and calibre of the boxer
:07:03. > :07:07.Fred is. We have taken it as far as we can as late as we can because we
:07:08. > :07:10.believed in Fred, we knew his potential and so did a lot of other
:07:11. > :07:12.people. So it is not an embarrassment, he is a fantastic
:07:13. > :07:14.athlete. Plans to set up Wales' first
:07:15. > :07:16."software university" are being prepared by businesses,
:07:17. > :07:18.concerned about skill shortages BBC Wales has learned
:07:19. > :07:23.a team based in Newport, is already designing two-year degree
:07:24. > :07:26.courses for the project. Scottish companies should
:07:27. > :07:28.relocate to Wales if Scotland becomes independent, according
:07:29. > :07:30.to some business leaders here. Cardiff's Business Council has
:07:31. > :07:32.written to companies like RBS, Standard Life and Scottish Widows
:07:33. > :07:35.to make the case for a Welsh move if there's a yes
:07:36. > :07:43.vote in September's referendum. Football and Welsh involvement
:07:44. > :07:46.in the Champions League is over The New Saints lost 2-0 to
:07:47. > :07:51.Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia in the second leg
:07:52. > :08:10.of their qualifier, played in Rhyl - Gardeners are hoping for rain, let's
:08:11. > :08:12.see what Sue Charles can offer. Not much, I'm afraid, it was warm
:08:13. > :08:16.and dry across Wales today. Not much, I'm afraid, it was warm
:08:17. > :08:19.and dry across Wales today. 26 was the height in Cardiff and we are in
:08:20. > :08:25.for another fine and under warm day tomorrow. Tomorrow remains dry,
:08:26. > :08:30.Cloud Inland melting away. Some mist and fog may roll onto the West Coast
:08:31. > :08:35.and another muggy night, with temperatures holding up at 16
:08:36. > :08:40.Celsius. Tomorrow, the sunshine will burn away any early mist and fled to
:08:41. > :08:47.leave another fine day and it is a largely fine day across the UK.
:08:48. > :08:51.Maybe a shower in Northern Ireland, and a zone of thick cloud will
:08:52. > :08:56.develop through the afternoon, but largely fine and very warm, in their
:08:57. > :09:00.20s right across the UK. 28 possible across the south-east of England. A
:09:01. > :09:04.very warm end to the day across Wales, maybe some thicker cloud
:09:05. > :09:08.building up through the afternoon and very humid, 20 Celsius possible
:09:09. > :09:15.in Cardiff and Newport. Later tomorrow, that heat and thicker
:09:16. > :09:19.cloud could trigger a thundery shower in the South and West but
:09:20. > :09:23.turning very mild again overnight. Thursday, once again plenty of fine
:09:24. > :09:29.weather, sunny spells and very warm in an easterly breeze and later on,
:09:30. > :09:32.a few showers could break out in the south and west. They could be heavy
:09:33. > :09:37.with Thunderbird hit and miss, most places will stay dry. -- with
:09:38. > :09:42.thunder, but hit and miss. Most places staying warm over the weekend
:09:43. > :09:44.but temperatures not quite as high. Sunny spells and the chance of a
:09:45. > :09:49.shower. Next week, turning cooler. We're back in Breakfast from 6am
:09:50. > :09:51.tomorrow morning. That's Wales Today,
:09:52. > :09:53.thank you for watching.