Plaid calls for policing powers to be devolved to Wales
Plaid Cymru has renewed calls for policing and justice to be fully devolved to Wales, warning that planned UK Government reforms could see Welsh police forces merged without decisions being made in Wales.
The party’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, said proposals being developed by the UK Government highlight what she described as a democratic gap in how policing decisions affecting Wales are taken.
Reports suggest the Home Secretary is considering a major overhaul of policing across England and Wales, including plans that could reduce the number of police forces by merging them into larger regional forces.
There are currently four territorial police forces in Wales, South Wales Police, Gwent Police, Dyfed-Powys Police and North Wales Police. Under the proposals, these could be merged as part of a plan to cut the total number of forces across England and Wales from 43 to as few as 12.
Plaid Cymru says such changes could be imposed from Westminster without Welsh consent, despite the direct impact on local communities, including those in Flintshire served by North Wales Police.
Liz Saville Roberts MP said: “The proposed reorganisation of policing in Wales is being driven from Westminster, with little regard for Wales’ geography, communities, language or social needs. Decisions that will fundamentally reshape public services in Wales are once again being taken without Wales having the power to decide for itself.
“If policing structures in Wales are to change, those decisions must be made in Wales, by institutions accountable to the people of Wales. A one-size-fits-all approach imposed from Westminster risks weakening local accountability and distancing policing from the communities it serves.
“Health, housing, local government, youth services and mental health support are already devolved. Keeping policing and justice outside Welsh control undermines joined-up policymaking and leaves Wales responsible for outcomes without the powers needed to deliver them.
“If Labour is serious about better outcomes for communities, it should finally listen to the evidence compiled by three independent commissions since 2011 and devolve policing and justice in full to Wales. That is the only way to ensure reforms deliver a better functioning justice system and strengthen democratic accountability.”
Plaid Cymru points to recommendations from the Silk Commission in 2014, the Thomas Commission in 2019 and the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales in 2024, all of which supported devolving policing powers.
The UK Government has previously rejected those recommendations.
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