Policing during the Miners' Strike

Part of 3. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:15 pm on 13 June 2018.

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Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 3:15, 13 June 2018

Presiding Officer, as the Member has pointed out in his question, policing is not devolved to Welsh Government and, consequently, we've not carried out an assessment of the issues he raises, since this is a matter for the United Kingdom Government. Members will be aware that the First Minister wrote to the then Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, in July 2016 regarding the possibility of an inquiry into those events that were described. In October 2016, the Home Secretary decided, after considering all the views put forward, not to establish an inquiry. Can I say I very much regret that decision? All of us who were active in supporting the miners during that strike—there were many of us who were standing on those picket lines at the time, supporting friends, school friends, colleagues and communities in struggle—we stood with the colliers in those days and we stand with them today. I witnessed that violence, I witnessed it at first-hand. I saw what happened when those communities were facing almost warfare from their own Government. Those communities deserved better then, the people deserved better then and they deserve justice today. I'm absolutely clear in my own mind that the United Kingdom Government has to recognise its responsibilities in this matter. There were people I knew, that I was in school with, who suffered the consequences of those actions. They deserve fair play, they deserve justice.