Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer.

It’s a new political term and here we are again with a new Wales Bill from Westminster. And, once again, it’s disappointing that Westminster has decided to refuse to transfer powers to Wales that would improve the policy outcomes for our people, would ensure better accountability and, importantly, would deliver political equality for Wales.

Presiding Officer, I want to concentrate on the policing element of the Plaid Cymru motion this afternoon. Historically, of course, policing in these isles has evolved over the past three centuries: it started with the first police service in Glasgow, and in the seventeenth century that was expanded to the whole of Britain. In fact, professional policing followed a pattern of developing very, very locally, with all local authorities in Wales responsible for policing by the middle of the nineteenth century. Soon, there was a policing framework on a governance level across England and Wales, with separate legislation, of course, for Scotland, reflecting the constitution as it was then. Isn’t it now time for policing in Wales to reflect the constitutional reality and current policy, whilst keeping at its heart the historic element of local accountability?

During the Silk commission process, which I’m sure you’ll all recall, evidence was received on how the policy framework is set out for Wales by Westminster. More and more often, that framework is metropolitan in its outlook. Although emergency services in Wales do collaborate effectively, there was evidence gathered by Silk that it would be even better if policing were to be devolved. Indeed, policing, like the ambulance service and the fire and rescue service, is a part of day-to-day services, such as education and health. They are an integral part of the public service, and it’s an anomaly, therefore, that policing in Wales should be different to all the other main public services in the fact that it is not devolved.

Every one of these public services works closely together, and each has a knock-on effect on the other. For the sake of consistency and improved services for citizens, consistency in their accountability would benefit everyone.

Indeed, the fact that policing is central to public services in Wales is reflected in the fact that the Welsh Government itself contributes significantly to the cost of policing, although it has no direct political power or legal power in the area. The Welsh Government is the only Government in these isles that makes a financial contribution to policing without having any direct power over that policy area.

I would also like to refer to the broader point of the need for a Wales Bill that is sustainable. Despite my disappointment with this latest Bill, as with the previous one, and the one before that, and the one before that, I very much hope that it will be possible for parties to co-operate in order to ensure equality for Wales with the other nations within this state. Indeed, in policing, Wales is falling behind even Manchester and London now.