Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:07 pm on 15 February 2022.
We mustn't look at it in isolation. We need to look, of course, more broadly beyond the settlement at the wider role that Welsh Government has in tackling some of the root causes of crime, and the core budgets from Welsh Government really need to make sure that we do provide sufficiently for youth services, for substance misuse programmes, and for better career pathways for those who might be susceptible to certain issues around breaking the law, and making sure that people have the prospects and the support that they need to make the best that they can from the opportunities that are available.
We need to make sure that, of course, we see this in the round. And, I'd argue, obviously, that devolving policing to Wales would be a positive step to help address many of these issues. It's the only emergency service that isn't devolved, and of course it is devolved in other parts of the United Kingdom. So, it would be much more pragmatic and logical to devolve the justice system and policing to Wales so that we can be afforded the same advantages that are enjoyed by other parts of the United Kingdom. Diolch.