Minister denies Labour 'strung along' by UK on youth justice
The Welsh government has been calling for criminal justice to be devolved for some time.Wales is the only nation with its own parliament which shares a legal jurisdiction with England - with policing, the courts and prisons all the responsibility of Westminster and not Cardiff Bay.UK Labour has not agreed to full devolution of criminal justice but has said it would explore giving the Welsh government powers over youth justice and probation, promising that in its general election manifesto.Those who call for a transfer of powers argue it would mean that prisons and probation can be better integrated with devolved services, or could allow ministers to change policies to make improvements.The Welsh government has commissioned work from the Wales Centre on Public Policy on probation devolution, and from former north Wales chief constable Carl Foulkes.On Monday Prisons Minister Lord Timpson told a Senedd committee that handing control over of either was not a "priority" while the criminal justice system was in "crisis".One Labour backbench MS said Lord Timpson's comments had been "pretty appalling".Blaenau Gwent MS Alun Davies described Lord Timpson on social media network X as an "unelected peer telling our parliament what powers we are allowed to hold".
Devolution process 'not in remit'
In the Senedd on Tuesday Adam Price asked Julie James if Wales was "being patronised by Westminster"."I don't agree with that characterisation at all," James replied.She said Huw Irranca-Davies, the deputy first minister, had "an extremely good meeting with the Lord Chancellor", Shabana Mahmood, "in which she authorised officials to work together on the beginnings of the steps for the the devolution of youth justice".James said an official had been appointed as a "head of youth justice devolution", and meetings on probation were occurring.She said Lord Timpson had done "an enormous amount of work on the absolute shambles the Conservative government left the court and prison system"."To be fair to him, the devolution process is not within his remit," she said."The manifesto of the UK government said that it would explore the devolution of youth justice and probation, and we are doing that."I am confident that we will get the steps towards that that we expected in this first year and a bit of the UK Labour government, and I'm sure that that journey will continue."
Price said in a statement: "Every commission - Silk, Thomas - has reached the same conclusion. Justice powers must align with devolved services. Scotland governs its own justice system with distinction, Northern Ireland shapes its own path with pride, Wales alone is told to wait."After one full year of supposed partnership, we have no draft legislation, no target date for the transfer of power, no outline budget with which to plan, and now we have Labour themselves saying no. This isn't partnership - it's paternalism."
The first minister Eluned Morgan said things were "edging" forward on youth justice and probation.A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We have had productive discussions with the UK government on youth justice and probation and we are exploring options where responsibilities in the youth justice system could be realigned. "The deputy first minister will update the Senedd on developments in this area soon."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
8 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
‘It's time to pay up', says Starmer in late payments crackdown
Sir Keir Starmer has said 'too many hardworking people are being forced to spend precious hours chasing payments' in a process which he described as 'exhausting'. As part of a drive to support small businesses, the Government is set to unveil plans to give the small business commissioner bolstered powers to fine large companies which persistently pay their suppliers late. The commissioner will also receive new powers to enforce a rule that customers must pay their supplier within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice, unless otherwise agreed, with spot checks to help identify breaches. Upcoming legislation will also introduce maximum payment terms of 60 days, reducing to 45 days. 'From builders and electricians to freelance designers and manufacturers — too many hardworking people are being forced to spend precious hours chasing payments instead of doing what they do best – growing their businesses,' Sir Keir said. 'It's unfair, it's exhausting and it's holding Britain back. 'So, our message is clear, it's time to pay up. 'Through our small business plan, we're not only tackling the scourge of late payments once and for all, but we're giving small business owners the backing and stability they need for their business to thrive, driving growth across the country through our plan for change.' The crackdown on late payments is part of a wider Government package and sits alongside a move to pump £4 billion of financial support into small business start-ups and growth. This is set to include £1 billion for new firms, with 69,000 start-up loans and mentoring support. 'This country is home to some of the brightest entrepreneurs and innovative businesses in the world, and we want to unleash their full potential by giving them back time and money to do what they do best – growing our local economies,' Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said. 'Our small business plan – the first in over a decade – is slashing unnecessary admin costs, making it easier for businesses to set up shop and giving SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) the financial backing they need.' Andrew Griffith, the Conservative shadow business secretary, said: 'Cracking down on late payments will be welcome for small business but will mean nothing for the 218,000 businesses that have closed under Labour. 'The reality for businesses under Labour is a doubling of business rates, a £25 billion jobs tax and a full-on strangulation of employment red tape. 'Only the Conservatives are on the side of the makers and will support businesses across Britain to create jobs and wealth.'
Western Telegraph
20 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
‘It's time to pay up', says Starmer in late payments crackdown
Sir Keir Starmer has said 'too many hardworking people are being forced to spend precious hours chasing payments' in a process which he described as 'exhausting'. As part of a drive to support small businesses, the Government is set to unveil plans to give the small business commissioner bolstered powers to fine large companies which persistently pay their suppliers late. The commissioner will also receive new powers to enforce a rule that customers must pay their supplier within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice, unless otherwise agreed, with spot checks to help identify breaches. We're not only tackling the scourge of late payments once and for all, but we're giving small business owners the backing and stability they need for their business to thrive Sir Keir Starmer Upcoming legislation will also introduce maximum payment terms of 60 days, reducing to 45 days. 'From builders and electricians to freelance designers and manufacturers — too many hardworking people are being forced to spend precious hours chasing payments instead of doing what they do best – growing their businesses,' Sir Keir said. 'It's unfair, it's exhausting and it's holding Britain back. 'So, our message is clear, it's time to pay up. 'Through our small business plan, we're not only tackling the scourge of late payments once and for all, but we're giving small business owners the backing and stability they need for their business to thrive, driving growth across the country through our plan for change.' The crackdown on late payments is part of a wider Government package and sits alongside a move to pump £4 billion of financial support into small business start-ups and growth. This is set to include £1 billion for new firms, with 69,000 start-up loans and mentoring support. 'This country is home to some of the brightest entrepreneurs and innovative businesses in the world, and we want to unleash their full potential by giving them back time and money to do what they do best – growing our local economies,' Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said. 'Our small business plan – the first in over a decade – is slashing unnecessary admin costs, making it easier for businesses to set up shop and giving SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) the financial backing they need.' Andrew Griffith, the Conservative shadow business secretary, said: 'Cracking down on late payments will be welcome for small business but will mean nothing for the 218,000 businesses that have closed under Labour. 'The reality for businesses under Labour is a doubling of business rates, a £25 billion jobs tax and a full-on strangulation of employment red tape. 'Only the Conservatives are on the side of the makers and will support businesses across Britain to create jobs and wealth.'
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Family of 10 'barge out' of pub in brazen dine and dash after £320 meal
Kelly Jollife, landlady of the Greyhound Inn in Usk, has claimed a family of ten ate at the pub on Sunday, July 27, before refusing to pay their bill and leaving The landlady of a well-known Welsh pub has accused a family of ten of "barging their way" out without settling their £320 bill. Kelly Jollife, who manages the Greyhound Inn in Usk, recounted that the family visited the pub on Sunday, July 27. She alleges they each ordered a starter and a main course, consumed them fully, but then refused to pay for anything other than their drinks. Kelly claimed they then "barged past" the pub's chefs before departing in two cars. The 49 year old, who has been the landlady at the pub for eight years, expressed her shock at the "brazen" act of "selfishness". Police have confirmed they are investigating an allegation of theft. Kelly said: "They looked at me as they were walking out as if to say, 'you can't do anything anyway so, tough'. "When they first came in they were not particularly nice to begin with. I had explained to them it was table service but they kept insisting on coming up to the bar. That kind of thing. They were gonna do it their way. So they ordered starters, mains and ate all the starters, then half way through their mains the waiter went to check if everything was ok, and they said, 'no it is all s**t. Everything is s**t. It is all just shocking'. "Then the waiter said 'do you want me to get the manager' to which they said, 'yes, but after we have finished'. They proceeded to eat everything. We had 150 people in house, and 140 of them left happy. Everybody, was happy. "I was then called and I said 'they are going to have to come and speak with me. I want full payment - they have eaten everything'. The waiter told them this and they replied with 'no - we are not paying. We will pay for the drinks but we are not paying for the food'. This was obviously unacceptable. "All of a sudden they started walking out. I went straight to the table with the card machine to say 'you need to pay this bill' - it was £328 worth. They put £44 on the table in cash, and walked out. I followed them down the path with some of my chefs as they are bigger than me, and one of the older guys in the family started fronting up the chefs. "The chefs just said 'look, you are an embarrassment, just pay the bill'. There was not a fist fight or anything, it was mainly verbal. As I was shouting 'you need to pay your bill' they got in the car and left the property." Kelly revealed she has contacted Gwent Police about the alleged incident, and said there had been a tremendous reaction on social media after she shared details of what happened, reports Wales Online. She explained the post was designed to "embarrassing" those supposedly involved, stating: "It is not the way to behave." She continued: "But the response I had on Facebook was just phenomenal. Everybody is so supportive." A spokesperson for Gwent Police stated: "We're investigating an allegation of theft in Usk Road, Llantrisant, which occurred around 3pm on Sunday 27 July. Officers are speaking to several people to establish the circumstances and enquiries continue."
