Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner welcomes Justice in Wales report

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent has welcomed a report from the Commission of Justice in Wales which calls for greater collaboration between justice policy makers and devolved public services.

The Commission on Justice in Wales was set up by the Welsh Government to review the justice system in Wales, and recommends that Wales would benefit from justice policy being more closely aligned with devolved services such as health, education and social welfare.

It is the first review of its kind in Wales for more than 200 years and sets out a long-term vision for the future of justice policy.

Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner Jeff Cuthbert said: “I welcome this report which calls for a much greater alignment of public services, whether they are currently devolved to Wales or otherwise.

“The report suggests that it would be better if all of the services that impact upon people were devolved to the Welsh Government. We as Commissioners in Wales welcome that announcement, however, we recognise that it will require the agreement of the UK Government and there is no sign of this happening at the moment.

“We will continue to strive to get the very best coordination and collaboration between devolved and reserved services in Wales. Indeed, the work that Commissioners and Chief Constables have already undertaken in this regard was praised by the Commission in their presentation. We also welcome the relatively new formation of the Policing Partnership Board for Wales which will allow for better strategic planning and coordination.

“We look forward to further engagement with Welsh and UK Governments about how the very best delivery of public services, including the justice system, can be advanced and maintained in Wales.”

The full report can be read at https://gov.wales/commission-justice-wales