As this motion states, specialist policing matters such as counter-terrorism are best co-ordinated at a UK level.’

However, its call for the devolution of policing for Wales defies reality. Policing is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland. For reasons of geography and history, the situation in Northern Ireland is entirely different. Prior to the introduction of direct rule in 1972, the old Stormont Parliament had responsibility for policing and justice in Northern Ireland, and successive UK Governments retained a commitment to re-devolve policing and justice when circumstances were right to do so. Forty-eight per cent of people in Wales live within 25 miles of the border with England, and 90 per cent within 50 miles. In contrast, only 5 per cent of the combined population of Scotland and England lives within 50 miles of the border between those countries. I’ll take one intervention.