Prisons, probation and courts

Adam PricePlaid

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

Lord Timpson told us that devolving probation isn't a priority, because the system is under huge pressure. What's your response to that?

Tagged for: “probation”Official Record

Huw Irranca-DaviesLabour

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

…I have to say, that would be supported by those people who work in Wales in the justice system, in the probation system; they would want to see us seize this opportunity as a step forward. But it can only be a step forward. We expect the UK Government to make good on its manifesto commitment to have…

Tagged for: “probation”Official Record

Adam PricePlaid

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

The clear assumption—. The focus on youth justice probation emerged from the Gordon Brown report; the clear assumption from everyone was that this was referring to legislative devolution. I mean, there was a reference in the Gordon Brown report that nothing that has been offered to Scotland…

Tagged for: “youth justice”, “probation”Official Record

Huw Irranca-DaviesLabour

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

…time dealing with the issues. However, if I can touch on what we're trying to achieve here with the probation service, we think a really pragmatic step forward is actually going to be if we can get agreement on the approach that's been taken forward in Greater Manchester. If it's good enough for…

Tagged for: “probation”Official Record

Huw Irranca-DaviesLabour

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

…engagement at official level and ministerial level, that they had their hands full, particularly in the probation and justice sphere. They were dealing with prison overcrowding, they were dealing with issues within the probation service, and they made very clear to us that they needed to resolve…

Tagged for: “probation”, “prison”Official Record

Alun DaviesLabour

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

…what is necessary is a date, and a means and a mechanism by which the UK Government agrees to devolve youth justice and probation, and all of the different aspects of management that you've described can actually fit into that date within the framework very, very easily. But the problem we've got is…

Tagged for: “youth justice”, “probation”Official Record

Huw Irranca-DaviesLabour

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

When I met the former Lord Chancellor, we agreed with them the need to work at pace on youth justice and probation, and we made clear to the former Chancellor, as we've made to this Chancellor, the need to show tangible progress during this Senedd term as well. Now, that isn't the full devolution of…

Tagged for: “youth justice”, “probation”Official Record

Adam PricePlaid

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

Let's turn to those matters, then. Have you had, from the UK Government, a timetable for devolving probation and youth justice?

Tagged for: “probation”, “youth justice”Official Record

Huw Irranca-DaviesLabour

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

…that, because of the work going on, we can make significant progress. Those include aspects such as probation and youth justice. There may be other areas I don't know as well that we can turn to. So, we're not looking at a scorecard of numbers, but significant areas where we've been engaged to get…

Tagged for: “probation”, “youth justice”Official Record

Huw Irranca-DaviesLabour

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

…those recommendations have been fully achieved. I have to say, the amount of work that was done by the Thomas commission, and that was presented as a very coherent piece of work—. That was totally rejected by the previous UK Government, which wasn't just a disappointment, it was disrespectful as…

Tagged for: “Thomas commission”Official Record

Adam PricePlaid

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

Dr Jones's report for the committee, which was mentioned earlier, says only three of the 78 Thomas commission recommendations have been fully achieved. Do you accept that assessment?

Tagged for: “Thomas commission”Official Record

Huw Irranca-DaviesLabour

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

…we've taken forward tangible work. So, for example, even though we haven't done everything on it, on tribunals, access to services, legal professions as well. But it's true to say we'd acknowledge, Adam, progress has not been as fast as we'd hoped in some of the devolved areas, including, by the…

Tagged for: “tribunals”Official Record

Adam PricePlaid

2 March 2026, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee

Evidence session with the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, and the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery

Yes. Since the Thomas commission reported in 2019, what are the main recommendations that sit with the Welsh Government to deliver? And what concrete progress have you made in relation to them?

Tagged for: “Thomas commission”Official Record