7. 7. Plaid Cymru Debate: Superprisons

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:06 pm on 20 September 2017.

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Photo of David Rees David Rees Labour 6:06, 20 September 2017

I thank the Member for that. I actually can’t give the answer, but it’s an interesting point we can add to the list of questions we will be asking.

We already have businesses saying they will move out. Now, moving out means they’re not coming in, and therefore we’re losing business to the economy. The MOJ claims this prison will bring new jobs to local people—numbers, by the way, that they can’t confirm. Never mind the 200, they actually can’t confirm, because they’ve said to me they don’t know how many until they know which operator. Well, that operator could be a private operator, so they haven’t got a clue. By the way, if it’s a private operator, the Labour Party manifesto in this year’s general election actually stated we should not be involved in building any more new private prisons.

The reality is Swansea and Cardiff, both Victorian prisons, will close, and those jobs will be transferred to this site. That means no new jobs, actually, but people coming in, but they won’t necessarily move into the area. Supply chains will also go with them, so no supply chain jobs coming in. Once operational, there will be no growth. This will not meet the objectives of the enterprise zone of bringing growth to our economy. What will bring jobs are new industrial units to attract other businesses to come in and to invest in We haven’t got units of 5,000 to 10,000 sq ft; let’s get them in. Why not do the same here as for other areas of Wales and establish a strong offer for businesses?

Cabinet Secretary, I have actually asked the Welsh Government for published evidence to support the claims of economic prosperity from building a prison, and I hope that we will get some, because I haven’t had any yet. Can I also ask the question of whether the Welsh Government has had discussions with the chair of the enterprise zone board and if he is in favour of this proposal?

Cabinet Secretary, also, the history of this site is known to local people, including myself. I can remember when ponies were walking across it as a marshland. We can all tell you that this location is the wrong site for this development. My call to you now, and in the future, will be, ‘Don’t sell this land, or lease this land, to the MOJ’.

Now, another question is the claim that the prison will offer inmates preparation for following release. Wonderful, but that preparation will include work placements. How many businesses are actually being approached and asked whether they will take this opportunity? I can tell you: none. How can reform work if a basic analysis hasn’t been undertaken into delivering rehabilitation? The whole economic and rehabilitation premise of this development is flawed.

Llywydd, I know there’s little time, and, in concluding my contribution, I ask the Cabinet Secretary: if prisons were devolved to Wales, would the Welsh Government build a superprison in the heart of a community on such flimsy evidence? I sincerely hope not. There’s clearly no justice coming to Port Talbot from the Ministry of Justice. Instead, I ask the Welsh Government to deliver it and say ‘no’ when asked to sell or lease the land to the MOJ. Set our economy as the priority, and not the MOJ’s desire to save money.