2. 2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:28 pm on 9 May 2017.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 2:28, 9 May 2017

I wonder if we can find time for a debate, ideally in the next couple of weeks, on the Welsh Government's role in community safety. We all know, as Assembly Members within this house of all parties, the importance of community safety, particularly in terms of a uniformed presence on the front line, and I was fortunate, or unfortunate, enough to spend 13 weeks on the Home Office Bill that introduced the police community safety officers, which the Welsh Government—I looked from a distance at the time—invested heavily in the year after year, consistently. And even though I do recall on that committee they were argued against vociferously by Conservatives at the time, they now seem to be universally welcomed, so it's a good step forward. But, such a debate, if we had it in the next couple of weeks, would also allow us to discuss, then, investment not just in PCSOs, but also in front-line police officers and the commitment that UK Labour has made to introduce 800 more on our streets—800 more bobbies on the beat—if we were to win the general election.