Welsh lead meets with MS to discuss policing issues

7 September 2021

Police Federation Welsh lead Nicky Ryan has held talks with Samuel Kurtz, the Conservative Member of the Senedd (MS) for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, as part of her ongoing series of meetings with politicians to discuss issues facing policing in Wales.

The latest meeting covered a wide range of topics including the Police Covenant, devolved policing, the availability of the Covid vaccine for frontline officers, Special Constables and the rising number of assaults against emergency services personnel.

It follows earlier discussions with North Wales MS Mark Isherwood, Pontypridd MS Mick Antoniw, who is Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, and Andrew R. T. Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservative Group in the Senedd.

The talks with prominent Senedd Members are part of Nicky’s campaign to ensure the Police Covenant is also adopted by the Welsh Government once it passes into law in Westminster.

She believes the Senedd has an opportunity to give special recognition to the extraordinary contribution police officers make to the communities they serve by granting them priority access to NHS services in Wales.

Nicky said: “Police officers have a unique role in society. They put their lives on the line to protect their communities every day and can pay the ultimate price for such dedication.

“Our members are always at risk of being injured in the line of duty with assaults on emergency services personnel soaring up by 26 per cent during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Frontline officers who are injured can then end up being off work for months on end while they wait for treatment or physiotherapy appointments.

“Priority access to NHS services would ensure they got back to work earlier and would also fit in with the basic ethos of the new Police Covenant.

“Samuel understood the argument for officers to have priority NHS treatment if injured in the execution of their duty but has concerns against the backdrop of NHS waiting lists.  

“He was interested in what support was available for officers so was briefed on the police rehabilitation centre at Flint House in Oxfordshire, the Police Treatment Centres in Harrogate and Auchterarder, Police Care UK, the Federation’s own Welfare Support Programme and other specialist support available to officers.”

Nicky outlined the Police Federation’s “resolutely neutral” position on whether policing is a devolved function in Wales and discussed with Mr Kurtz the Welsh Government’s move towards advancing the recommendations of the Thomas Commission on Justice in Wales which was published in 2019.

On Covid vaccines, Nicky explained how the police were expected to perform roles supporting the health service and devolved functions during the pandemic but that officers’ exposure to the risk of infection was neither understood nor taken into account.

She was told that Mr Kurtz’s predecessor, Angela Burns, had spoken several times with the health minister in support of police officers’ calls to be given priority in the Covid vaccine roll-out and that he in turn would back future claims for early booster shots should it become an issue. 

Mr Kurtz was interested in the number of hours given to policing by Special Constables in the UK and the fact they were deployed to the G7 Summit in Cornwall in the summer and would undoubtedly be deployed to the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November.

The MS, who is about to take over as chair of Pembroke Young Farmers Club, told Nicky he would be happy to raise policing issues within the Senedd in the future if needed.

Following the meeting, he said: “It was great to have been given the opportunity to meet with Nicky Ryan and the Police Federation regarding the issues facing our emergency service personnel in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire.

“As decision-makers, we should all be doing everything we can to support our emergency service personnel who, time and time again, put their lives at risk to protect members of the public.

“Just recently, it was announced that Dyfed Powys had recruited 51 new police officers – making our streets even safer. The only way we can effectively fight crime is by ensuring our police force has the resources and manpower it needs. These additional officers will help support those already working hard to keep us safe.”

The MS added: “The Police Covenant is a really important piece of law that will create a statutory duty to do more to support our police officers. I’ll be urging my colleagues in the Welsh Government to adopt the covenant once it has been passed by Westminster.

“Actions speak louder than words, and that’s why the Home Secretary’s Police Covenant is so important in ensuring the work of our police officers is rightly recognised and enshrined.”