Youth Justice

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Monday 18th May 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lammy]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend not just for championing these issues from the Back Benches, but for the tremendous work she did while she was Children’s Minister. She will be pleased to hear that I met Penelope Gibbs just last week to discuss these very issues, and I am happy to meet my hon. Friend to look at what more we can do. This is an important consultation. A third of people on jobseeker’s allowance have an offence on their record. We have to do something to ensure that these things do not follow young people for the rest of their lives.

[Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)]

Devolving youth justice powers is hardly a novel argument, and the White Paper itself acknowledges Wales’s action on the prevention of youth offending. Will the Secretary of State clarify whether Labour will finally listen to the people of Wales, who have elected a Government clear in their stance on devolution, and allow Wales full powers over justice?

[Mr Lammy]

I look forward to meeting the new team in Wales soon to discuss what more we can do together.