Policing should be devolved to Wales, says Senedd

11 March 2022

Members of the Welsh Parliament have passed a motion by 38 votes to 14 that policing in Wales should be devolved in line with other 999 services.

The Federation maintains a neutral stance, believing this is a matter for governments to resolve, nevertheless a briefing paper provided to Senedd members by Welsh lead Nicky Ryan was quoted by both sides in the debate on Wednesday.

Nicky Ryan, who leads the Police Federation of England and Wales’ Welsh Affairs Sub-Committee, said: “When the Commission led by Sir Paul Silk delved into the devolution question more than a decade ago, the Federation provided oral and written advice that was commended by commissioners as being ‘evidence led’.

“Our conclusion then was that ‘policing could be devolved,’ but that the decision about whether should be is for governments. Following the Thomas Commission a few years later the starting point has become ‘Why shouldn’t policing be devolved?’ but our neutral stance remains as we believe it is for the decision-makers, policy directors and those elected to public office to consider, debate and come to a conclusion.”

Labour MS Mike Hedges (Swansea East), who spoke in favour of devolving policing during the debate in the Senedd, stated: “The police don't work in isolation. When you dial 999, you don’t say, 'Which service do you want? Do you want a devolved one or a non-devolved one?' You dial 999 and you ask for an emergency service. Why are three of them devolved and one isn’t?”

He went on to say that many of the levers that affect levels of crime have already been devolved to Wales, such as community safety, education, training, jobs, mental health services, alcohol and drug treatment, housing, healthy communities, as well as many other services relating to social factors.

Conservative Mark Isherwood (North Wales) took a more sceptical line, claiming that: “North Wales Police share services including regional organised crime, firearms, intelligence, custody, property and forensics with their sister forces in north-west England. They also express concern about any desire in Welsh Government to merge the police forces in Wales as they stated that the geography and current calibrations with various English forces makes the concept of an all-Wales police force very difficult, adding that to force such a move to satisfy the egos of certain politicians should be carefully monitored.”

Nicky added that if the Federation is called to play a part in the upcoming Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales, it will again welcome the engagement from a position of neutrality.