2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:05 pm on 21 January 2020.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of David Rees David Rees Labour 3:05, 21 January 2020

Trefnydd, last week the Secretary of State for Justice in the UK Government reminded us that he still believed that there was a need for a new prison in south Wales. Now, we've had this debate before, where my community has been very vehemently against the location of the last proposal. But the question we had in that debate was whether we needed a new superprison, and what were the appropriate processes. Will you have a statement from the Welsh Government as to what discussions you've had with the UK Government on such ideas from the Secretary of State for Justice, and what actually he means by the benefits of a new superprison? Because, in the debates last time, we talked about the ways in which we can actually make lives better for prisoners, and to look at the way in which we pass justice over. We talked very much about the devolution of justice and devolution of prison services to Wales so that we could do it appropriately for Wales. Now, this statement seems to be ignoring all those concepts and once again looking to impose a new prison in us. So, hopefully we'll have a statement from the Minister, or whoever is the relevant Minister, in relation to actually what discussions are taking place and what plans he's having for Wales.