THE way Wales' three fire and rescue services are run and funded is "not fit for purpose", the Welsh Government's public services minister has said.

Blaenau Gwent AM Alun Davies was speaking in the Senedd yesterday, Tuesday, as he launched a consultation into a reform of fire and rescue services in Wales.

Mr Davies said issues including an increasingly ageing population living independently in their own homes, the impact of climate change, sector reforms following the Grenfell Tower fire and ongoing spending cuts meant the way the three fire and rescue services in Wales are run and funded is "not fit for purpose".

"We already have several fire stations in Wales that typically deal with less than one emergency call-out to a fire every month, and many that see only a few dozen a year," he said.

"We understand that this is not sustainable and it makes recruiting, motivating and retaining firefighters very difficult indeed.

"But nor should such stations be closed as that would leave large parts of the country with no fire service at all.

"So, the future depends on realising the potential to do more in collaboration with other agencies.

"To achieve that and secure a future that is viable, the service needs to be governed and funded in a modern, accountable and sustainable way. At present it is not."

Mr Davies added he was concerned there was no public input into how the services are run, and councils should have more powers to scrutinise budgets.

"The current arrangements date from the mid-1990s," he said.

"Whilst they may well have been adequate at that time, the service and the demands placed upon it have changed significantly since.

"No-one should see this as any kind of criticism of current fire and rescue authority members, managers or staff. We know that they have done their best within the flawed system, but that system itself now needs to change."

But he said he had no plans to transfer power over fire and rescue services to police and crime commissioners, as is happening in England, or revise the borders of the areas the services operate under.

Among proposed reforms are for councils to have a direct role in running fire and rescue services and for budgets to be agreed between the services and local authorities on a yearly basis.

The consultation will run until Tuesday, February 5, 2019.

For more information visit tinyurl.com/ybvqomds