Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Welsh Government was (a) consulted and (b) engaged with as part of the Independent Review of Police Force Structures prior to 7 May 2026.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Independent Review of Police Force Structures was launched on 17 March this year and has sought views from a wide range of policing stakeholders, including the Welsh Government. It issued its call for evidence on 15 April, to which the Welsh Government were invited to respond by 20 May, and the Independent Review team held an introductory meeting with Welsh Government Officials on 30 April. The Review will continue to engage with the newly elected Government.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to review the 1987 Police Pension Scheme, in light of the mechanism under which widowers, widows and surviving civil partners can lose their pension entitlement if they remarry or enter into a new cohabiting relationship.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the response given to UIN 813 on the 18th May 2026.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on the commitment to introduce new legal safeguards around strip-searching children and young people; and what the timeline is for the implementation of these safeguards.
Answered by Natalie Fleet - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Strip search is one of the most intrusive powers available to the police. The Government has been clear that, where these powers are used, they must be exercised lawfully, proportionately and with proper regard for the welfare and dignity of children and young people.
We are taking forward work on a package of reforms to strengthen the safeguards that apply to strip searching children and young people, including measures intended to improve accountability and oversight, and to support greater clarity and consistency in the use of these powers.
This work is being considered carefully alongside wider reforms relating to strip search, informed by evidence and engagement with key stakeholders, to ensure a more child-centred approach in practice. The Government remains committed to strengthening the framework in this area and we will set out further details in due course.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, noting the context of devolved legislation, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes put forward as part of her Department’s consultation entitled Family Returns: Reforming Asylum Support and Enforcing Family Returns on local authorities in Wales.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
While asylum and immigration policy are reserved matters, the Home Office recognises that the proposals in the consultation titled Family Returns: Reforming Asylum Support and Enforcing Family Returns interact with important devolved responsibilities, including those of local authorities.
The consultation is seeking views from the devolved administrations on potential impacts of the proposals and responses from Welsh local authorities and the Welsh Government will inform relevant impact assessments, policy, regulations and guidance.
The Home Office will continue to engage with devolved administrations and local authority partners to ensure any reforms are implemented responsibly and in line with statutory duties.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the desired governance end state for policing in Wales following the policing white paper; when those discussions took place; and what the outcomes were.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are working closely with the Welsh Government, as well as other Welsh Stakeholders including Welsh local government, police forces and other partners, to ensure new governance arrangements provide strong and effective police governance in Wales.
Officials have established a specific Welsh transition working group as part of the Police Governance Reform project, which last met on 22 January. Welsh Government officials are members of this Board and Home Office and Welsh Government officials speak regularly to develop proposals. The Minister for Policing and Crime regularly speaks to the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS, and she attended the Policing Partnership Board for Wales on 18 December. The Minister plans to attend the next Board on 5 March.
We will continue to work collaboratively with Welsh stakeholders on the design and implementation of governance arrangements in Wales.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with Welsh Government officials on the application of relevant measures set out in the violence against women and girls strategy, published on 18 December 2025, in Wales.
Answered by Jess Phillips
Throughout the development of the VAWG Strategy we have engaged with the Welsh Government, Scottish Government, and Northern Ireland Executive, including through roundtables with Welsh stakeholders and representation of the Wales National Advisor on VAWG as part of our Strategy Advisory Board. Each Devolved Government has its own strategy, and ours has been informed by best practices drawn from the approaches of all three, including Wales. We are committed to sharing learning and best practice to make our work complementary. VAWG is a national and international emergency, and we will continue working with the Welsh Government, Scottish Government, and Northern Ireland Executive to ensure a coordinated UK-wide response.
Tackling violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV) has been a long-standing priority for the Welsh Government, as demonstrated through the ground-breaking Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act. Its second Strategy (May 2022) further set out its vision to end VAWG, domestic abuse and sexual violence in Wales. The VAWDASV Blueprint approach brings together devolved and reserved public authorities, non-governmental organisations, specialist services and survivors whose voices are integral to securing a future without VAWG to deliver this vision. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our Welsh Government colleagues as we deliver on our commitments within the Strategy to ensure a cohesive, joined-up approach.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which specific measures set out in the Tackling violence against women and girls strategy, published on 18 December, apply to (a) England only and (b) England and Wales.
Answered by Jess Phillips
This Strategy applies to areas under UK Government responsibility. Commitments on crime, policing, and justice apply to England and Wales, while those on health, social care, housing, transport, and education apply to England only, as these are devolved matters. Reserved areas, such as online safety and immigration, apply across the UK.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department have had with Welsh Government counterparts on the implementation of local investigations in Wales as part of the grooming gangs inquiry.
Answered by Jess Phillips
On 9 December 2025 the Home Secretary announced to Parliament the appointment of Baroness Anne Longfield CBE as Chair of the new Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, and Zoë Billingham CBE and Eleanor Kelly CBE as Panel.
The Home Office has had regular discussions with the Welsh Government while the Inquiry was being established. The Inquiry is independent of Government. The draft Terms of Reference for the Inquiry make clear that it will establish its own process for how local investigations are determined, with no location able to resist if one is declared. All areas of Wales are within scope of the inquiry.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of police officers who died by suicide in each of the last ten years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not collect data on suicides or attempted suicides by police workers. Data on suicides by occupation have previously been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarri ages/deaths/adhocs/2726suicidebyoccupationinenglandandwales2023and202 4provisional.
A National Action Plan for Suicide Prevention and Postvention in policing has been launched, which aims to reduce rates among the police workforce as well as enhancing data recording.
The plan, which includes ensuring adequate training for the police workforce, emphasises a supportive environment that promotes mental health and combats stigma to ensure that those affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts can access appropriate and timely support.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on improving the recruitment process for police officers.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government is committed to ensuring there are consistent, high standards for entry into the police.
Individual police forces manage recruitment locally within a national application, assessment and selection framework, in line with guidance maintained by the College of Policing. We continue to work closely with the College to support ongoing improvements to all entry routes into policing, ensuring they are as effective as they can be for forces and participants, and that recruits across all forces consistently meet the same rigorous standards.