4. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services: Working Together for Safer Communities

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:57 pm on 12 December 2017.

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Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 3:57, 12 December 2017

I'm not sure where I'm going to start, Deputy Presiding Officer, but let me start with his final question, again—I seem to have fallen into a habit of doing so. My vision is very, very clear: I think that policing should be devolved to the National Assembly, alongside justice policy, within a distinct Welsh legal jurisdiction, which will provide us with the clarity and the ability to both deliver holistic policy approaches and to do so within the structures of a clear devolution settlement where we have clarity of accountability—for this place to be responsible for all of those different policy imperatives and approaches. And let me tell you why: in terms of where we are today, this isn't simply a dry constitutional debate to take place amongst lawyers late at night; this is about how we deliver policy for some of the most vulnerable people in the country.

The UKIP representative spent some time talking about substance misuse and other potentially criminal activity. You do not address those issues with a policing response alone. The one lesson we have learnt, time and time again—and forgotten all too often—is that if we are to address offending at its most basic level then we need to take a far more comprehensive and holistic approach involving social and other services, as well as policing and other enforcement agencies. It is not possible—and I think most people recognise this; whether UKIP do or not, I don't know—to address these issues around community safety and around offending simply using a policing and a prison or a penal policy approach. That certainly is not the view of this Government in the way that we address these issues. So, we do want to see a more holistic approach to a more comprehensive way of delivering safer communities within a justice policy that has rehabilitation at its heart.

I will say this in terms of the original points of the introduction that was made by the UKIP spokesperson this afternoon. One of the passions, if you like, of Carl Sargeant in office was that of creating an environment where children didn't simply grow up, but were nurtured—were nurtured in warm, loving families in communities where they were able to go out and play and grow up feeling safe and secure.

He brought the whole question of ACEs—adverse childhood experiences—into the heart of Government, and I sat round many tables talking with him, as he drove home the importance of childhood and ensuring a safe and happy childhood for children across the whole of this country. At its heart, what we're seeking to do in developing policy on safer communities is to enable all of us to live safe lives where we feel safe in our homes, safe on our streets and where we're able to grow up and to grow old in a community that cares for everyone.