Gwent MPs update

Police and Crime Commissioner Jeff Cuthbert said:

“At the end of last week I joined the Chief Constable of Gwent Police for a conference call with MPs from across Gwent.

“Of course, Covid-19 formed a large part of our discussions. We have a particular concern about the delay in court cases and MPs agreed to take up this issue with the Lord Chancellor’s office.

“We also discussed the Black Lives Matter protests that are happening across the UK. While we all support people’s rights to protest peacefully, MPs shared our concerns about any kind of mass public gathering while we are still in the grips of a pandemic.

“I am pleased that MPs have also agreed to support us in seeking clarity over the current position of the apprenticeship levy. All employers with a wage bill over £3million pay into a national pot that is used to train apprentices, including police officers, however, policing in Wales is yet to see a share of this funding.

“It was also an opportunity for MPs to raise some of the current issues in their constituencies, with off road biking and drug dealing amongst the topics discussed. It was a very positive meeting and MPS thanked Gwent Police for their work.”