Legal Powers

Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution – in the Senedd at 3:07 pm on 25 January 2023.

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Photo of Mick Antoniw Mick Antoniw Labour 3:07, 25 January 2023

What I can say is that, although policing is not devolved, there is a close relationship. We meet with the democratically elected police and crime commissioners. I know the Minister for Social Justice meets very regularly to discuss a whole range of those issues: the anti-racist action plan, issues around diversity, all the issues in which policing interacts with various devolved governmental responsibilities. That's one of the reasons why we actually want policing devolved, because it is logical, it makes sense to do it, and every elected police and crime commissioner actually agrees that it should happen. I believe one day it will happen.

But what I can say is that, in response to those events that took place, the Minister for Social Justice did meet with Gwent Police and the crime commissioner Jeff Cuthbert, and chief constable Pam Kelly, on 14 November, and again on 23 November, to discuss the issue. The First Minister also met with the police and crime commissioner Jeff Cuthbert, and the chief constable Pam Kelly, on 20 December. I understand that both Senedd Members and Members of Parliament had multiple briefings by Gwent Police on this issue, and the Secretary of State for Wales has also confirmed that he is confident in the chief constable's leadership. I think this is a matter, obviously, where we have to wait and see now what further steps are taken. It clearly is a matter of interest to us, but I do say that we are restricted in the specific things that we can do, because of the lack of devolution of policing.