Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:47 pm on 8 March 2022.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:47, 8 March 2022

All those are very important points that the Member has made. The single biggest way in which we have been able to address that challenge in Wales is, as I said earlier, in reducing year on year the total number of children from Wales who find themselves in custody, down to the lowest ever figure last year. That will mean that we have been able to have a benefit for those young people from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community. But, more does need to be done, we know, because of the discrimination and disadvantage that children from those backgrounds face. We have significant investment from the Welsh Government in providing particular services to help meet the needs of those communities and that expertise is available to people who work in our youth justice system. I don't think it's unfair of me, Llywydd, even with what was a very constructive question, to point to the fact that there is legislation going through the House of Commons at the moment, taken forward by the Conservative Party, that will lead to the criminalisation of more people from that community, legislation to which this Senedd has refused to give its consent.