The Commission on Justice in Wales Report

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:26 pm on 26 May 2021.

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Photo of Rhys ab Owen Rhys ab Owen Plaid Cymru 2:26, 26 May 2021

(Translated)

Thank you for that response, First Minister. I do hope that we will see a more confirmed timetable as to how the Government intends to implement the recommendations relating to the Welsh Government. When I came here as a schoolboy in 1999 to the opening of the Assembly, I would never have imagined that I would be standing in the Welsh Parliament asking this question. We're very grateful to many of that group from 1999—many from all parties who left after the last Senedd—for the firm foundations that they've laid for us. I'm pleased that one of the team of 1999 is driving forward the reform of the Senedd. But it's an important step forward, First Minister, to ensure that justice and policing are devolved to Wales.

I'm very grateful to the Welsh Government for stepping into the breach following swingeing cuts by the Conservative Party in Westminster, and the huge contribution they make to the justice system—up to 40 per cent of expenditure on justice comes from this place. But that creates a problem, a problem that Lord Thomas noted in his report, and that's a problem of scrutiny. There isn't sufficient scrutiny happening in terms of the significant expenditure coming from the Welsh Government. How would you, as a Government, promote further scrutiny on that substantial expenditure that is making a huge impact on the lives of so many people in Wales? Thank you very much.