4. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government regarding improving community safety in Wales? OAQ53448

We do work with the UK Government on matters of mutual interest, in order to make communities safer, including the implementation of the Home Office serious organised crime and serious violence strategies. The safer communities programme I recently chaired includes representation from both Welsh Government and UK Government.

I thank you for that response. But one way of making sure that community safety in Wales works is the funding by the Welsh Assembly of the 500 community support officers across Wales, to help with that improvement. However, I'm sure, like me, that you are concerned about the Police Federation of England and Wales survey that showed that 90 per cent of police officers believe their force is understaffed, and that, since 2010, there's been a decrease of 21,000, in real terms, of officers across England and Wales, as a direct result of funding cuts. And due to those staff shortages, officers are now reporting having to go out on their own, and that, clearly, isn't a safe place for them, and it isn't an ideal situation for them to keep their communities safe. So, Deputy Minister, what discussions have you had with the UK Government regarding the drop in police numbers and how it's going to be resolved, to ensure that the health and safety of both police officers, but also the general public, is maintained?

Well, I'm grateful to Joyce Watson for raising this question and particularly for drawing attention to the survey last week, undertaken by the Police Federation of England and Wales. Not only were they suggesting that 90 per cent of officers believe that there are not enough of them to do their job properly, they see that that also puts the people that they want to serve in their communities at risk.

I have mentioned the fact that we have a policing board, which the First Minister chaired yesterday, and these issues were raised in that meeting. It is good that despite austerity, despite reductions to our budget by the UK Government, we have protected investment in 500 Welsh Government-funded community support officers, and that, of course, is crucial to that work in the community. But it is something that I will be discussing with UK Government Ministers, because it does mean that, in terms of community safety and the fact that police forces in Wales are concerned about ensuring that they can, as they said yesterday, focus on prevention and early intervention, diversionary support, working with young people and communities—. Indeed, yesterday, we also addressed the need for the inter-agency work of our public services boards, and they need to have the backing and the UK Government needs to give it to them. 

The Welsh Local Government Association website states that, involving councils, police, as well as fire and rescue, health boards and probation services, community safety partnerships work to offer an effective multi-agency approach. But other than referring to working with councils and communities, there is no reference to the third sector. However, the Welsh Government, in its document 'Working Together for Safer Communities: A Welsh Government review of community safety partnership working in Wales' published in December 2017, said that third sector agencies are increasingly providing a wide range of community safety services from victim support through to perpetrator programmes and anti-social behaviour diversion schemes through to counter-radicalisation activity, but respondents from third sector agencies had reported that statutory agencies often pay lip service to notions of involvement and co-production with them. 

What action have you taken, or will the Welsh Government take, therefore, on its statement in that report that your vision is a Wales in which

'The shared responsibility of government, public and third sector agencies is to work together with the communities they serve and the private sector to address activity or behaviour that is unlawful, anti-social, harmful to individuals and society and to the environment' and

'Strengthening the role and status of third sector organisations within community safety partnership working' is key? 

Well, Mark Isherwood, you will be aware of, as you have already reported, the community safety review task and finish group resulted in the safer communities programme board being established. In fact, it was established by the former Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services, and it's working very closely—now set up—with the Home Office. It's working closely with local government and the third sector and, in fact, I chaired a recent meeting. It meets quarterly; it has Welsh Government, Home Office, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, Welsh Local Government Association, police and crime commissioners—. Of course, it has a shared vision, which is about partnership, that every community is strong, safe and confident, and, importantly, as far as I'm concerned, and I am sure you as well, Mark Isherwood, that it provides equality of opportunity and social justice, resilience and sustainability for all. But—crucially important—it is a shared responsibility of Government, the third sector and the public sector to work together. 

Thank you, Deputy Minister.