3. What recent discussions has the Deputy Minister had regarding community safety in Mid and West Wales? OAQ53662

In February, I chaired the safer communities programme board. The board oversees the implementation of the Wales-wide working together for safer communities review. We have adopted a regional approach in order to best address the specific needs of each of our regions to promote community cohesion.

I thank the Deputy Minister for her answer. I'm sure the Deputy Minister is aware of a relatively recent phenomenon that gets referred to as 'county lines', where people dealing in drugs are moving young people—predominantly young people, but certainly vulnerable people—from large urban centres and using them to sell drugs and, unfortunately, sex services as well, in our smaller towns and county towns. Dyfed-Powys Police service has recently raised cases with me in Newtown before Christmas and, just a fortnight ago, Dyfed-Powys Police had to deal with two 14-year-olds from outside the area who were involved in drug supply in Llanelli. These are obviously young people who should be treated as victims. They are undoubtedly committing offences, but they're certainly not doing so of their own free will. Will the Deputy Minister undertake to have further discussions today with the appropriate partners, which obviously include the police service, but also includes prosecutors, because we have to ensure that these young people are not treated as criminals, and that the charges are pursued, as they are being in the Llanelli case, against the adult men who were involved in putting the young people in this position? And will the Deputy Minister talk to social services, to housing and, if necessary, have discussions with Ministers at UK level, because many of these young people are coming from large English cities, to try and put a stop to this phenomenon, which is having a big impact in the communities where it's happening but is also having a devastating impact on the young people directly invovled?

Helen Mary Jones also raises a very important question, which we discussed with the chief constables and police and crime commissioners at the policing board, which was chaired by the First Minister last month. In fact, Dafydd Llywelyn, the Dyfed-Powys police and crime commissioner, was very clear about the challenges in his area. I think it's a valuable opportunity for us again to see how we can share practice, share intelligence. Of course, this is crucial in terms of seeing this as a way in which we need to prevent the county lines taking hold of some of the most vulnerable young people in Wales.

I think it's important that we are liaising with Home Office officials, just in terms of importance of funding issues, and the fact that the Welsh Government also is continuing to provide funding for our community safety officers. Of course, 74 of those are located in your area, and they play a very important part in positive engagement with young people. So, this is a key issue not just for police, but also for the youth offending teams in terms of our work with young people across Wales, but particularly, from your question, in your area.