STORY
Wales’ four Police and Crime Commissioners are to face questions from MPs on the future of policing and the UK Government’s Police Reform Bill. The Welsh Affairs Committee said the evidence session would examine proposed reforms affecting policing structures, accountability and governance in Wales.
The Government’s wider police reform agenda includes changes to the role of Police and Crime Commissioners and the relationship between policing and local accountability. The Welsh dimension is politically sensitive because policing is not devolved, but the Welsh Government and several Welsh political figures have previously argued for a greater Welsh role in policing policy.
The committee session will allow MPs to test whether the proposed reforms are suitable for Wales and whether they could affect local democratic accountability. It is also likely to explore how any changes would interact with Welsh public services, crime prevention work and wider debates about the devolution settlement.