Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Brexit Minister (in respect of his 'law officer' responsibilities) – in the Senedd at 2:35 pm on 15 October 2019.
I thank the Member for that question. With regard to the matter of the devolution of the justice system, he will know, of course, that the Commission on Justice in Wales intends to report next week, and we look forward very much to hearing what conclusions they have reached in relation to this. He will know from his own engagement with the commission that this is a matter that they have, obviously, been exploring. He will also know, of course, that the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip published the female offending and youth justice blueprints, which he of course was also engaged on in his time in Government, which seek to develop, despite the devolution settlement, innovative ways of allying the services that Welsh Government can provide with the interventions that the UK Government make. And, obviously, the focus of that is on diverting people away from the criminal justice system and supporting them in a holistic and rehabilitative way.
In relation to the point he makes about female prisoners, there is no female prison in Wales, as he obviously knows, and we do not want one. Welsh women need a safe and secure facility that is fit for purpose, whilst allowing them to maintain contact with families, and in particular with their children, where that is the case. The Welsh Government has welcomed the MOJ's plans to trial five new residential centres as part of their female offending strategy, and has already made a strong case for ensuring that at least one of those proposed centres is located here in Wales.