6. Will the Commissioner make a statement on the preparedness of the Assembly and its offices across Wales to respond to potential terrorist attacks? OAQ52741

Thank you for that question. It's a serious question and, as you may notice from budgets in the most recent years, the Commission has already made a significant investment in protective security across the estate but also in Members' offices, which is regularly reviewed, considering the UK threat level from international terrorism. And, as well as providing appropriate security advice and comprehensive safety awareness training to Members and Commission staff, we have increased levels of protection against cyber attack, which, of course, is invisible—we don't get to see that in the same way that we do our security presence, which has also increased—and we work with a number of agencies to develop and deliver a package that's pretty robust. 

Thank you. On 22 March 2017, 50 people were, of course, injured and five tragically killed in a terrorism attack when they drove a car into crowds on Westminster bridge, stabbing, horrifically, a policeman outside the House of Commons. Whilst none of us can predict when or where a terrorist attack might occur, this particular attack does highlight the possibility that democratic institutions are facing. Undoubtedly, we know and we appreciate the very strict security measures that we do have here in Cardiff Bay. However, I do share some concern about the safety and anti-terrorism measures in our Colwyn Bay office. So, will you clarify what measures you are taking—or the Commission, that is—to protect the staff and public using those offices, please?

Well, certainly—obviously, I'm not going to give you too much detail; quite a lot of this will be confidential, and I'm sure you understand why. But the level of attention paid to the Colwyn Bay office is the same as here. So, the whole of the Senedd is classed as a tier 1 site. The National Assembly for Wales's security team works in partnership here with South Wales Police and other appropriate agencies, such as the counter-terrorism unit, to identity risk and put the appropriate level of mitigation in place. I'd say, probably—. The Senedd gets that level of oversight from South Wales Police rather than North Wales Police, obviously. But what you will have seen—and I'm hoping this is true of Colwyn Bay as well—is that there's increased staffing within the security service, and, here, there's an introduction of an armed police presence. I mentioned the cyber attack and the security awareness. So, if you have any sense that the staff in Colwyn Bay are perhaps not getting the training that we're having here, then I really would like you to let us know. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Commissioner.