4. How is the Welsh Government supporting the recruitment of police officers in Wales? (OAQ51187)

Well, policing is not devolved to the Welsh Government, so we have no involvement in the recruitment of police officers. That is a matter for the Home Office.

Thank you, and that’s why I chose the word ‘supporting’. Three weeks ago, I raised concern with you expressed by the four police and crime commissioners and four chief constables in Wales that their inability to access the £2 million paid to the apprenticeship levy could result in fewer police officers, and potential recruits choosing to sign up for English forces instead. In your response, you confirmed, of course, that you’d received a share of the apprenticeship levy in Welsh Government, but

‘cannot, in good faith, pay towards apprenticeship schemes that sit in non-devolved areas’.

In reality, in the 2017-18 Welsh Government budget, you said you would give £0.5 million to police and crime commissioners to ensure that they are not disadvantaged as a result of the apprenticeship levy. You actually received £128 million, which covers the £90 million removed from the Barnett block, it covers the £30 million paid into the levy by Welsh public sector employers, and left an £8 million top-up above that level. What engagement are you therefore having as a Government with the police and crime commissioners and chief constables over this very serious matter to ensure that you give the maximum support you can, where you’re able to, in this area?

We meet regularly with the—. There are regular ministerial meetings, in fact, to discuss finance and other matters. Bear in mind, of course, that, as a Government, we support and continue to support 500 police community support officers across Wales—an issue that is not devolved, but is an issue of community safety that we wanted to take seriously, and has had a positive impact on so many communities. But I have to say to the Member: he cannot stand there and say that policing shouldn’t be devolved and then say we should spend money on a service that isn’t devolved. If policing had been devolved, this would be a matter for us. We argue it should be devolved, like every other emergency service. It is a matter for the UK Government to fund the training of police officers. Otherwise, give us the budget, give us devolution, and we’ll do it.

First Minister, whilst the recruitment of police officers must remain a high priority, we cannot overlook the hugely important factor of retention. Ninety one per cent of Gwent officers say there is not enough manpower, 80 per cent say that they have unachievable deadlines, and 76 per cent say that they cannot meet demands. All of this, of course, leads to low morale and disillusionment with the job. Can the First Minister outline the Welsh Government’s strategy to combat these stresses and thus make retention more sustainable?

Again, I have to remind the Member that these are not matters for the Welsh Government; they are matters for the UK Government. I don’t disagree with what he said, actually. It’s a sign of austerity that the police service is under so much pressure, but that is the responsibility of the UK Government. We’ve made it very clear that we would wish to see the devolution of policing with the appropriate budget transfer, and we would do a better job for our police officers.

First Minister, the Tory UK Government recently made a derisory deviation from their ideological obsession with austerity when they announced police officers would get a 1 per cent bonus funded from existing budgets. Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales said that this announcement would leave many officers angry and deflated.

‘We were not greedy in what we asked for’,

Mr White added. Officers have been taking home about 15 per cent less than they were seven years ago. The federation has asked for a mere 2.8 per cent increase to basic pay. Would the First Minister call on the Tory UK Government and their supporters in this very Chamber to pay police officers a decent salary so as to ensure new recruits are not turned off serving their communities as police officers?

I thank the Member for the question. We’ve heard evidence on these benches, and indeed on the benches opposite, of the way in which police officers are treated, not properly supported, the police service not properly funded, all as a result of the UK Government’s austerity programme. It shows that, when it comes to policing, the Tories will sell our police officers short.